I mentioned on Saturday (yesterday) that I have been watching quite a few movies and TV Series at home, yet yearning to go to the theaters! I did not make it to the movies at 2:00pm, but by and by with the errands completed, I got myself to AMC theaters in Burlington, MA. It was a three way toss up between run into the theater with a min to spare to see Indy, or wait an hour to see Indy or wait an hour and half to see Caspian. The first was too short a wait, besides, I love to see previews, so, option 1 out. Option 3 out, just because, it is too long a wait. I could have waited, but nah! Indy it was!

_preface_:
Before I get into the Crystal Skull movie, a little about my relationship with Indiana Jones movie. As a kid, I have vague recollection of seeing posters (huge posters) put up when the Raiders of the Lost Arc came to be released in the country. Of course, at that point of time, it would have been considered complete frivolity and waste of time and money by my parents to even think of seeing such a movie, or perhaps I was underage to see Indiana Jones battling Nazi's and the ghosts of the Arc. After that, I really heard nothing about the next two movies; Temple of Doom and last Crusade.

It was years and years later that I find myself having seen Patriot Games, Star Wars (re-release), Sabrina, Air Force One and many others, that became a growing fan of Harrison Ford. It was in the last 4-5 years that I finally caught up to see Last Crusade and then Temple of Doom.

Each of the Indiana Jones movie, has a sense of adventure of exotic locations from underground church graves in Venice to Grand Canyon to desolate islands and submarines, forest and poison dart throwing natives and more. There is the thrill of the unknown and unexpected turns and twists. There is our bumbling and yet incredibly lucky hero (Indiana Jones). It is so evident in the way Harrison reacts to the situations in the movie with amusement, anger, and sometime amazement, that it makes it real, alive and believable. He depicts a fictional, yet if he was real, he would really lead us into protecting all our ancient histories today.

So, I must say, I went in to see Kingdom of Crystal Skull with tremendous expectations! Well, sometimes, that is good and sometimes things take a downturn. (*spoliers beyond this*) Oh! Don't get me wrong! I still love Harrison Ford and loved that Karen Allen is back and we have the Henry Jones Jr. III. Awesome! A perfect way to get into the next set of Indiana Jones, the batan has been handed down!

Fanstastic Sequences: There are several sections that truly live up to my expectations (*spoilers*)
1. Great sequence when Indiana Jones II and III are on motorcycle with the reds chasing them. The chase goes through all sorts of streets and alley ways and into the library of the school when Indiana teaches. The chase stops briefly in the library whence Indiana Jones instructs the students to get out of the library for serious archeology! Ha! Ha!
2. Love the entire escape from a nuclear test site, in a fridge.
3. The amazon chase with reds and Indiana family and crystal skull, great! It has swords, and guns and giant red ants and monkeys.
4. It is very endearing to see Indiana Jones hot on the trail of the skull, following the clues from Dr Oxley, from the sanitorium to the ancient ruins with caves and poison dart throwing natives et. al. Awesome!
5. What makes Indiana real, lovable and a hero, is that he follows clues intelligently, passionately and does it to know and not as much for personal gain. He thirsts for the journey and the results. While the enemy lets him get on with it and grabs the treasure as soon as Indiana acquires it. One cannot help cheer Indiana when he flips the odds against the enemy in his own sometimes bumbling and lucky ways. Sometimes whatever he does works and sometimes it doesn't. But, he tries! and tries again!

Not-so fantastic! Now, now! I liked the movie, but there was something really missing! Earlier Indiana Jones movies all have this incredible solid story lines, and one felt completely involved in the quest. When the plane took off from point A to point B, you were with him in the plane, along for the ride. This sense of renewed archeological find was somehow missing. I almost wonder if there was more trade off for jazzy digitalization versus good old story telling! There were serious outcomes if Indiana fails in his quest and the enemy win. This one had it too, but it somehow did not convey the same gravity as unleashing the power of the arc or the power of the holy grail! Perhaps, Speilberg should have left the aliens out! yeah! More than have skull's return meant escape for the aliens in their ship, it meant something more for the good of this planet. Somehow the balance of good and bad for the planet is little more appealing for me, than bad for this planet and escape for the aliens. Whatever!

But, it was fun! Will I buy the DVD? Perhaps not! I will wait for the Blu-ray! ;)

After a long while, I am hankering to go to the theaters for a good movie. It is not the movie watching that I am missing, but the actual ritual of getting to the theater and watching one. As regards movies, I have been kind of a movie junkie, with many a evening devoted to DVD's at home, DVD's from Netflix and the watching online in with Netflix and Hulu.com. Some of the movies I have been watching are; Hitman (my notes), King Arthur (my notes), I'll sleep when I am dead, Priates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End, 300 (well most of it), The Juror, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, Mystic River,  It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world, The Lake House, Death at a Funeral, Gone Baby Gone, almost all of the Prime Suspect series, Coupling, Jane Austen's Mansfield park! Gosh! All this in the last six weeks. All the above movies have appeal to me in some way or the other, a few dazzled me enough to shell out more dollars to own a copy of the DVD at home.... just so it can be at my beck and call.

But all that viewing is at home on my fantastic flat screen monitor and soundworks speakers attached. The assembly is ridiculously simple, relatively cheap and perfectly suitable. It is not the Sony 57 inch with bose home theater system, but it will do, until the time comes for the upgrade. Ah! I completely digress! Back to the matter in hand.... I am hankering to go to the theaters. Usually, I ask couple of people I know that may want to see some movies. But, now I am not sure!

What do I want to see? I want to see:
1. Prince Caspian! Yeah! I do.
2. Of course, having never seen any of the Indiana Jones (duh! in theaters), and I love him to death. One of the people I want to meet is Harrison Ford! I want to see it. Somehow seeing the trailers have left me with mixed feelings about this one. There seem to be treatments (if I may call them) which look similar to the Priates of the Caribbean and  yet again from the older Indiana Jones. But! Hey! I am putting the Cart before the Horse. I should see the movie before I make any judgements.
3. Finally.... yes! I want to see Sex in the City. But, I think I can wait for the DVD release of this one.

So, anyone interested? I am going.... er... tomorrow.... after 2 o'clock.... I think.... I know... most probably!

Okay, I am a wimp! I tried to watch 300 in its entireity, but alas, I am weak, and knowing how it ends, I did not want see it.

However, to do it justice, I saw most of the war scenes between the Spartans and Xerxes's army. It is a fantastic piece of art form. Any scene (at least the point till I was inclined to see), can be frozen in time, to become a wall art. Is that good? Is that bad? I don't know, and I really don't care too much. Visually, it is very appealing. The varying speeds of the film during the fight scenes has the effect of concentrating ones attention to a very specific target. The target could be the tip of the spear, an expression of face, the spurt of blood or simply the wisp of a light garment. I loved the treatment, loved the true levels of red achieved in this film. Soundtrack, memorable, but nothing to write home about.Total eye candy, Gerald Butler and his six pack abs!

Despite all that, I could not bring myself to finish seeing the movie. Me not completing a movie does not happen often. So, then why? I think I completely hate the fact of betrayals. It makes me wish to make a trip back in time and throttle their throats!

Growing up, Jane Austen (abridged and then unabridged versions) was one of my go-to authors. As a child I had very different perceptions, conclusions and read at a very different level of understanding. After all these years, reading these classics and also seeing some of the well done BBC adaptations, one truly appreciates the fantastic depth and details of Jane Austen writing. Mind you, I sometimes don't agree with her writings and her character's submissiveness in a situation. Perhaps, because I am too much of an proven independent to accept a womens role/position in the era that Jane Austen wrote in.  But, there are some undeniable truths in behavior, character and circumstance, that she describes that make a lasting impression.

I have been watching "Mansfiled Park" with couple of my dear friends and have very lively debates on the time, place, characters, and whether or not the adaptation is truly a resemblance of the book. I must say, I am going to whole heartedly agree that the link above takes one to the netflix list of on-demand Mansfield park in six (roughy one hour each) episodes. This is one of the best adaptations that I have seen for Mansfield Park.

I watched King Arthur last night after work. I picked this movie up for Clive Owen and Clive Owen alone, but along with that gorgeous hunk, you get a quite a few gorgeous knights as well and one epic soundtrack for Hans Zimmer! Holy smokes, the soundtrack is haunting!

But back to the knights! You have Ioan Gruffudd (as Lancelot) and Mads Mikkelsen (as Tristan). Now where in the world have I seen these two cool guys before? Ioan is in Horation Hornblower (duh!) and, of course, Mads the coolest thing from Denmark in Casino Royale as Le Chiffre! Both adorable and so, so damn cute, that it hurts!

The soundtrack is blooming haunting! Needless to say it is on my buy list in Amazon!

The movie itself got a weird odd rating. But, now, I am kicking myself for having missed it on the full screen and theatre sound system! Ah! Well!  I liked the movie, for the historical accurateness that it tries to achieve. More of the dark ages time, rather than the whole legend of Camelot thing. Merlin being more of native pagan fighting for his land against Rome, than the wizard. Wars are little more realistic than people dancing around. Knights being human, that is not the pious, self-righteous characters, but realistic, oppressed, barbaric, mercenaries. Costumes carefully chosen and location shots are amazing! For me, the process of change in Artorius to being King Arthur is really heart rendering. It is process of realization that for the longest time the beliefs he has held about Rome, grandeur and justice and freedom for all, are no longer existent and that he has to strive to build it with what he has.

Wonderful movie!

Totally mindless, great heart thumping music, couple of hits, swordplay, one hot lead actor (Timothy Olyphant)..... just what the doctor ordered. Sometimes I wonder why I am watching this mindless crapshoot! Sometimes it is just what the mind needs.

Pst: I watched this three times.... er... for the music and one hot bald guy! tsk! tsk! Pathetic.

It is always a treat to see DCI Tennison (Helen Mirren) in action. Previously, she was passed over for promotion due to politics and strange bed-fellows, despite her teams and her accomplishments. She files for transfer, and is tranferred to a location where she as to work once again with friends and foes. It is indeed very interesting to see how as a woman, she fights, struggles and succeeds in a male dominated world of crime. She plays her cards incredibly to get the promotion she deserves and on the way she manages to succeed in correctly deducing the murderers.

What always amazes me when I watch DCI Tennison, is the single-mindedness (sometimes at the cost of her personal life) of her efforts and dedication to getting to the bottom of the matter. She is incredibly good at what she does. It annoys and frustrates her immensely when someone else gets the credit for the sweat and tears that she has devoted, but she goes about getting even in her own way. If nothing else, watch this for a portrayal of one amazing woman.

Last night, The Score was sitting on my doorstep as I walked in. I could not recollect why I would have chosen this movie to see on my netflix queue. Until I had read the short blurb, and also popped the movie into the player, that it dawned on me. I like Ed Norton and Robert De Niro, and I had not seen this movie, so in a flash of brilliance couple of months ago, I had put this on the queue.

The movie is really watchably cool and extremely well cast. Ed Norton really pulls it off superbly, as a retard that cleans floors and also the cunning thief. There is something about his contenance that carries this duallity so dang well! The other movie where he plays this dual kind of role is in Primal Fear. I think it was last year, when I watched Primal Fear, that I really wanted to see Ed Norton's movies. Of course, Robert De Niro plays his role as aging thief who finally partners up with Ed Norton to steal a sceptre from Montreal customs offices. The plan goes great until Ed Norton decides to mess around with Robert De Niro to steal it all for himself. Hmmmm... sounds like the Italian Job, where Ed Norton steals the gold from his partners. Goes to show most movies are made from mish-mash of earlier movies or not. Anyways, it is like I said, watchably cool.

Since coming back from New York, I have been keeping busy living life, rather than blogging about it or may be I was being just a tad lazy about penning (typing) down what was happening. Either way, nothing got written down for a while. So, what has been happening? Loads of stuff that was on-going, well, has continued to be on-going, loads of new stuff got started, loads of stuff got done, and all along loads of fun was up for grabs.

Work front, all well that works well.

Entertainment front: Movies. Thanks to Netflix (door delivery), Netflix online and Hulu.com sites, I have caught up with several items from the queue

Shattered Glass: All about seeing Hayden Christensen in a role which nothing to do with Darth Vadar. I did get drawn into the movie as it dealt with the ethics. The movie is about a journalist, who has dreams about grandeur and he goes about getting it by fabricating his stories. It reminds me people who love to talk, love to hear themselves talk and all the while are saying nothing or are simply lying.

Arsenic and Old Lace: After the heavy dose of ethics, this one comes with Cary Grant in one of the most hilarious roles as a newly wed with aunts that have a sordid passion of killing gentlemen callers and burying them in the basement. The two aunts go about killing and burying as it was the most normal pasttime ever. It is great!

The Pianist: Holy molly, loved and hated this movie at the same time. Cannot believe I did not go to see this at the theaters.

Prime Suspect 1 and 2: I really do like Helen Mirren's role as DCI Tennyson.

And Then There Were None: As a kid I have remember reading this book, with 10 people murdered on a island, and no one could have gotten to the island and no one left. Since then I have been on the lookout for the book. Couple of months back as I was browsing through tones of used books for sale, I spotted it and bought it. It was great to re-read the book. I couldn't wait for the movie. Hmmm! Quite certain that there was a movie, I searched, found, and moved it to the top of my queue on Netflix. I must say, I was dissappointed, arghh! The suspense was there, the thrill was there, and the ending was horrid. I could believe my ears (or eyes for that matter). How dare they change the ending!

House M.D. (playing catup with season 4... I think): Hugh Laurie is really really cool. The brilliant but caustic doctor and his team as they battle the weirder of the medical problems.

Crochet Conquered! Finally, I have conquered the dopey one needle in one hand and yarn in the other craft. Yes! It has been a personal ghoul to couquer. I could knit, I could embroider, I could pick up almost any other craft, but the whole crocheting business drove me bananas. I could never manage the whole yarn and single needle thing. Conquering this thing has led me down the path of doing a sampler which is almost 50inches in square and also started on an ambitious shawl. Hmmm! I wonder if conquering a craft has lead me down the obsessive crafting path. Time will tell, but this may be a passing phase or a lasting entertainment. My very own accomplishment.

Werner Karl Heisenberg, a German physicist, Nobel laureate, and father of uncertainty principle (it is impossible to know exactly the momentum and location of a particle at the same time). Niels Bohr, a Danish physicist, Nobel laureate and father of complementarity (photon can be regarded as a particle and also wave). Between the World War I and II, the two shared a real mentor/protégé relationship. With the start of the World War II, Heisenberg stayed on in Germany to lead their atomic energy for peaceful purposes (possibly the atomic bomb), while Bohr in German-occupied-Denmark worked under severe restrictions. During the war, in 1941, Heisenberg and Bohr met on evening in Copenhagen. Post that meeting the relationship was irreparably broken. What transpired between the two during that evening has remained speculation for the longest time.

This play, by Michael Frayn, deals with why Heisenberg visited Bohr? What did Heisenberg say to Bohr and what was Bohr answer to create an irreparable rift between the two? Was Heisenberg there to gloat of his work? his countries achievements? to fish for allies nuclear programme?  It uses the two principles (uncertainty and complementarity) very effectively in the three characters in the play; Bohr, his wife and Heisenberg as it replays the drafts of what may have transpired.

I loved it. I have heard that the movie is considerably shortened from the play. I cannot wait to either see or read the play.

Watched this movie on TCM (Turner Classic Movies) today. I think I liked this one completely. I think (or like to think) I had heard about this movie ages ago and never watched it. As it was announced, I just sat down to catch couple glimpses of the movie. But, after a while, I just had to know about the prisoner of Zenda. I think it was fantastic! With Deborah Kerr and Stewart Granger. Spectacular sets, lavish gowns and swash-buckling heros. It was rather fun. Watch it, it is a good one, although a remake of the 1937 one and it will be remade again in 1988. Ah! but what the heck, watch it anyways.

My colleague at work mentioned to me yesterday, that I should check out the Arlington, MA's drama scene at Arlington Friends of Drama. So, we (my colleague, my boss and me) check out the website, and it showing "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum". It took me by complete surprise and shock (if I may add). For those who don't know, December every year, is my company's annual national forum in Orlando, Florida, whereto the entire company (or most of us) travel and pretty much work as blue-shirting-staff in different roles to make the event a successful one. Anyways, the title just seemed so close to the what we are facing...... funnies on the way to the forum. On further chat with my boss, he mentioned that it was indeed a movie too!

Of course, my reaction to this all, is to put it on the netflix queue and have it delivered today! I couldn't wait, I had to see what could possibly be funny on the way to the forum! I found it absurd, idiotic, hilarious, side-spliting stupid and wacky. This movie was made in 1966 and it still holds its charm in absurdity. For a friday night laugh it was worth it. 

It has made me think, what could be the funny thing(s) on the way to 'our' forum?  I cannot wait to catalog that? There are tones of what can be funny at the forum, but on the way? I am going to keep my eyes and ears peeled.

Clearly, I am obsessed with the soundtrack and movie! Enough has been written and said about this movie! We don't need another blog entry for it! But....

Last week this movie was shown at least thrice, and each time, I sat glued to the idiot box, drooling over Daniel Day Lewis. Interestingly, I don't think I like him in any other movies. Somehow, the whole cast, the scenery and soundtrack fits like a perfectly baked pie. This week they are showing it again. Just one guess, what I will be doing! Right, I will be curled up on my sofa with glass of wine watching the Last of the Mohicans!

This was not enough, so, I went and bought the soundtrack and DVD release from Amazon. Of course, I realized my mistake! I should have ordered the UK release and not the US release, because US release massacred some of the best shots in the movie. ARRGHHH!  I received the DVD and the soundtrack this evening and I am listening to the soundtrack as I type this entry.

I know, that I am going to reach a saturation level with this movie! Once there, I wonder I am going to be sick of this movie forever! Is that even possible?

Watch this one for Clive Owen.

It does not help to watch this movie when you are bone tired. I still don't know why the rioting and shooting was going on. Tooo exhausted to write..... must watch it again!

Double feature this weekend with Greenfingers and Chocolat. I enjoyed both movies, but Greenfingers was so much more fulfiling. Chocolat was all about a woman and her daughter settling in a conservative French village and shaking up its rigid morality with chocolate shop. It was definitely watchable with brilliant actors like Judy Dench and Johnny Depp. Meanwhile, Greenfingers is all about turning hardened criminals into productive gardeners. With actors like Clive Owen and Helen Mirren and gorgeous gardens, it was really a no contest that I would like Greenfingers better.

Perhaps another reason why I liked Greenfingers better is because in the past two years, I have worked hard to turn my yard into something pretty. It has still some ways to go, but it is getting there. It was just very inspiring to start off fall planting.

At the end of the World War III, the world is controlled by the Tetragrammaton. Tetragrammaton believes that a world without feeling is a world that is at peace. Everyone is forced to take regular doses of Prozium (a drug that hinders all feeling). All those who don't accept this authoritative regime are "Sense Offenders". The Sense Offenders and Tetragrammaton are constantly at war with each other. Tetragrammaton laws are enforced by an elite force called Grammaton Cleric. Clerics look to kill all Sense Offenders and destroy all articles that invoke feelings. John Preston (Christian Bale) is a prodigal Cleric, until the day he skips the Prozium (because the capsule accidentally breaks). For a person who has never felt a feeling, he is slowly exposed to the world and beauty of feeling. He soon starts to sympathize with Sense Offenders and plans to over throw the tyrannical regime.

I have no idea why I had put Equilibrium on my netflix queue, but I am so very glad I did. It is surprisingly fantastic, with exceptional sound track, fight sequences and the cute Christian Bale and Sean Bean (for a short time). I might buy this movie just for the sound track, which is truly amazing.

Some interesting observations:
1. The fight sequences in the movie reminded me of the Matrix movies. But felt so very different. This just seemed a bit more grounded in reality (or possible reality). The fighting techniques in this movie is actually explained in the movie (in a teaching class scene) basing on mathematical calculations. And there is 'automatic-download' of learning; it comes with years of intensive practice.

2. The culture is about banning art and architecture, yet all buildings and interior designs are quite stylishly modern.

3. If emotions/feelings are banned, then how does the concept of family exists? Sounds a tad contradictory to me. More over, if there is no feeling of enmity then why would the Cleric want to destroy the ones who still feel? Would they kill just because they are told to do something? If that is the case, then Prozium is not really suppressing feeling, but channeling to destroy all those who feel. Hmm! Weird!

4. The soundtrack sits so damn well!

{Edit: The way I currently 'feel' I could do with a doze or two of Prozium!}

I love Matt Damon! On that gorgeous face is such intelligent eyes. I think that feature simply stole the show in the first two of the Bourne movies (Bourne Identity and Bourne Supremacy). So there was no way I was not going to see the Bourne Ultimatum. Incidently, the Supremacy and Ultimatum were directed by Paul Greengrass and the Identity was by someone else (name escapes me).

I love the actor and loved the first two movies, so I expected to love the last one in the series. I did not expect be blown away! But that is exactly what happened this afternoon/evening. It all started with me not driving down to NY on Sunday. The trip got postponed till tomorrow (Tuesday), and worked was wrapped up, so I found myself at the loose end of doing nothing and not wanting to start something I could not finish this evening. I was in Burlington, so going for the movie sounded most logical. Besides I needed it! I almost bought the ticket to see HP 5. But, all the memories were just too damn fresh, new and painful. So, Bourne it was. I had to wait a while, but it was worth the wait.

Everything in that movie was stellar, every moment, every breath, every word, every note was in a word... Perfect! So speaketh the person who is still relishing every moment and reliving every bit of that movie.

The memorable moments:

1. How about the whole dang movie!

2. The trailers that were aired over TV, does give away one terrific scene: The phone conversation between Jason Bourne and Noah Vosen, with Noah waiting in a car, awaiting Bourne to show up and claiming to be in his office, and of course Jason: "If you were in your office right now we'd be having this conversation face-to-face". Despite having heard and seen that several times on trailer, it was just fantastic to see it in context of the movie.

3. There isn't one spectacular car chase as in Ronin or in any of the movies I have seen, there are multiple fantastic ones. One in Tangier on motor cycles, one in New York. The feel, the sense of the chase is always on. From the first shot till the end the thrill does not stop. Of course, there are some goofs, I caught just one, but they were so well executed. One of the hillarious lines (spoiler) by a agent when he reporting to Noah Vosen, on where Jason is: "He just drove off the roof!" Just for this line, you have got the see the movie.

Always on my 'Must Buy' list, just jumped to 'MUST buy the extended (if-there-is-one)' list. And of course, will see it again with friends!

Finally caught up to see Harry Potter 5!

My impressions:

• I saw the movie in the IMAX 3D at Jordans. I was impressed with the IMAX (I am usually with a great sound system! and fantastic screen). The last 30 minutes of the movie was in 3D. I don't think I was too impressed with that whole 3D effect. It was rather weird, cartoonish, jarring and down right not needed. My 2 cents, don't make 3D just for the sake of making it. I think it would have been cleaner without the 3D.
• We sat too close? Couple of rows from the back would have brought the eye level to center of the screen, rather than looking up. Plus, I don't think the movie was shot with such a large screen in mind. I say that because, I had to keep moving my head from right to left as the camera moved from one angle to another.
• The sound was okay, but too damned loud! Somehow some of the conversations were muffled by the soundtrack! Does IMAX play them separately or was it the speakers? Or wait, was it me! I may be gettin too old!
• Anyways, I think I am bashing up some of the more technical aspects of the movie and the IMAX combination. So, the plan is to see the movie again in a good digital theater.
• On to the impressions of the movie itself; I loved the fact that it focused intensely on the characters! Loved it! I was happy and did not miss the sections that they left off from the book. I read the book (again) just before seeing the movie and it did make a difference. I knew what to expect, but just not how it was presented. It was wonderful to see the movie treatment. Kudos to the director and screenplay writers.
• I loved the soundtrack, it just did not sound like John Williams and of course it wasn't (original sound composition by: Nicholas Hooper). This is the first time I have heard about him, and I think I like what he composes. I cannot wait for the next Harry Potter (in pre-production, right now)
• One major difference while watching this versus the other HP movies, was that, I know now how it all ends (read the HP 7! that topic for another day!), so it kind of took away the feel of dread when you don't know who, what, where is going to die! Well, it is kind of silly perhaps, after all I did read the HP 5 _before_ seeing the movie, so really did know what was happening. 

So, in summary:
- I am going to see the movie again (will not be for the first time) on a Digital theater and see if the movie impressions carry over. :)
- Needless to say, of course the DVD is on my 'Must Buy' list. Probably going to pre-order that one.

Yesterday, I got home by 9:30PM. It marked the end of very long week. In the past week, Monday to Thursday, the days were long and emergencies cropped up every which way, and burning bushes needed fire fighting. So, really at 9:30PM last night, I should have been dog tired, and should have gotten into bed and stayed there at least for next 8 hours. But, alas! at my door step was a movie from Netflix.... and I made the mistake of opening it!

The movie: Archangel.
The actor: Daniel Craig!

I scrambled some eggs with some asparagus for dinner and stared at the Netflix white sleeve at the dinner table. All the while I was eating, I debated whether I was so tired that I should sleep, or I was so tired, that another 2 hours & some odd minutes is not going to make me more tired. I asked kitties for advice, they responded with Meow and Purr.... heavens knows what that means. I voted at the end of dinner to get some sleep. As within next 24 hours, I will be zooming off to Nashville, TN (for work) for the next five days and the more work, when I get back. So, next relaxing day will be next Saturday!

As I walked upstairs to the bedroom... each step was successively harder. I thought I was tired, and resolved to get to sleep. Finally half way up, I stopped, turned, walked down, put the DVD in and turned on the TV and decided to watch half the movie and then watch the other half in the flight to Nashville. I settled happily on the couch with comfy pillows, with a nice throw at my feet, and confused kitties (I am not a night person, so it throws off my kitties, when I do something weird....like keep awake reading or watching movies) to watch the movie.

Ten minutes into the movie, I found myself sitting up straight up, bent forward and completely engrossed by movie. Forget seeing just half of the movie, I would have been devastated, if I could not see the whole movie. I watched the whole movie and finally around 12:30 the wee hours of Friday finally got to bed, but this time I was not tired!

Archangel is a gripping thriller novel written by Robert Harris adapted into a drama series by BBC. I think the editorial review on Amazon captures it beautifully:

"Fluke Kelso [played by Daniel Craig] is a middle-aged scholar of Soviet Communism with a special interest in the dark secrets of Joseph Stalin. For years, rumors have circulated about a notebook that the aging dictator kept in his final years. In a chance encounter in Moscow, Kelso meets Papu Rapava, a former NKVD guard who claims that he was at Stalin's deathbed and says that he assisted Politburo member Beria in hiding the black oilskin notebook just as Stalin was passing. Before Kelso can get more details, Rapava disappears, but the scholar is energized by the evidence Rapava has provided. As Kelso begins to pursue his historical prize, however, his investigation ensnares him in a living web of Stalinist terror and murder. It soon becomes clear that the notebook is the key to a doorway hiding many secrets, old and new"

For some absurd reason I kept thinking I have come across the name of Robert Harris somewhere before. And, further research led to the fantastic discovery that he also wrote "Enigma".

So, if you like thrillers, do see this one. It is like a great book you have to keep turning pages. A fantastic thriller and so darn beautifully filmed in Russia (I think). And to top that, it is Daniel Craig... the current favorite! 

Daniel Craig is insanely gorgeous! Ever since, I saw him as Alex West in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, I knew I liked the blond dreamboat with blue eyes.

I watched Casino Royale in theatres in January and could not wait to get my paws on.... er....the DVD. The 2-disc version would be released on March 13th, 2007, 8-week wait. It was weird! I have wait patiently for many a DVD, but this one tried my patience like none other. Perhaps it was because, I was getting out of hibernation and wanted things to move a bit faster. For the past week, I have been visiting Amazon frequently, hoping that it would ship faster! Finally, Amazon shipped it on the 11th, I received it on the 14th. Of course, last night became the movie night of the week and it reflects today.... I am half asleep and half in dream world. (A great day if you want something from me..... in most likelihood won't be turned down!)

My very own: Layer Cake, Lara Croft: Tomb raider and now, Casino Royale

In netflix queue: Archangel.

Awaiting eagerly: Bond 22 (releasing sometime 2008)

Other insanely gorgeous actors: Gerard Butler, Matthew MacFadyen.......

(Interestingly, all these yummy actors are across the pond!)

More than 30 days and no blog! Shame on me! Was I lazy/tired/bored/annoyed? or Was I cold? I really don't know. Perhaps it was the month to hibernate!

Every year sometime during the tail end of winter, I hibernate, away from public view. Mostly because, if I don't I can become quite crabby! But I see that winter is receding (although not today) but last week we had some warm days and the upcoming week is also going to be on the warmer side. So, the outlook is brightening.

So what have I been up to the past month?

In short, I was playing host to my father, who was visiting for couple of weeks. Unfortunately it was too cold to take him around and there was not enough snow to take him skiing somewhere. The problem was that I was at work and busy at that, and he was probably bored out and yearned to get back to warmer weather. Unlike my sister, who has two kids, that can be quite entertaining, I have two cats, who are really not entertaining as kids.

I moved desks space at work. And went from being comfortable to miserable. But my office lot is cool and they have organized to have it more comfortable. Ah... well... it remains to be seen when it will get done.

Whilst hibernating, the best thing to do is eat, watch movies and read. I highly recommend not starting anything that is critical or crucial or has long term repercussions. So, I did exactly that.

So, in the last 6 weeks, I put on 5 lbs! (Dang! Now to work on getting it down!)

Along the journey of putting on 5lbs, I read The Last Templar. If you liked Da Vinci Code, then this is a good read too. I just disagree with ending. It would have prefered if the author had left it open ended. That is everyone can make up their own mind to believe in the Templar or not. Also, mindlessly read,  If Tomorrow Comes (Sidney Sheldon) and currently reading some other random book whose title eludes me right now.  [Edit: The book currently in hand is The Jester by James Patterson]

And I watched movies such as Coma (1978) (did not think it was too frightening, book was of course better), The Family Stone (eh! ok!),  The Sentinel (mediocre at its best), Mission Impossible III (actually liked it, but I think the first one is really the better one, to think of it, I have not see Mission Impossible II), The Lavender Hill Mob (Awesome! with a capital A), Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights (dark as the book, pretty good), Flightplan (2005) (Wanted to watch this, for Sean Bean, pretty decent, but nothing to write home about), Snatch (again.... I needed the laugh, and boy does this deliver!), The Queen (Helen Mirren is awesome), Prime Suspect 6 - The Last Witness, Breach (left me wanting more details), and I have no idea what possessed me to watch Tenerife, but I did.

Oh! I also did a bit of running around, getting paperwork done for Taxes (groan!) and travel itineraries for Nashville, TN and then, of course Barcelona, Spain!

I have never seen a Dutch movie, much less the one that won the Oscars (1998) for best foreign films. It is definitely not a movie, I would have picked myself. But then I usually pass on movies, only to return to them and enjoy them tremendously. Karakter (or Character) should really be called Characters, because the movie contains one too many 'characters'. Or is it meant to say 'building' character?

Summary: Based on the novel "Karakter" by Dutch novelist Ferdinand Bordewijk, the story is set in Rotterdam during the 1920s. The love-hate relationship between the father Dreverhaven (played by the Flemish actor Jan Decleir) and the son Jacob Katadreuffe (Fedja van Huet) works very well. Both have extremely strong characters and their ambitions make them blind for the possibilities of love. Right from the early childhood, Jacob feels the abandonment from his father, his mother and school friends. The estrangement, slowly deepens into hate and strong will to fight every step of the way for Jacob. At almost every step of the way, Jacob finds himself checkmated by his father. But he is not willing to throw in the towel. Against all odds, he strives and struggles to become a lawyer and succeeds in it.

It was wonderful to watch the characters develop, and in a word - 'strangle' each other emotionally, until the end.

Perhaps the best moment is when early in the movie, Jacob storms into Dreverhaven's office and address the latter:

Jacob: Today I have been made a lawyer. You no longer exist for me! You have worked against me all my life!
Dreverhaven: ...... or for you!

I loved that exchange, because the exchange completely captures the resentment and hate between the two and also the strong undercurrents of character building by fire.

It was indeed powerful. Watching this movie comes at a very interesting timing. I think, I want, a vacation and I think it is going to be Netherlands. This movie is set in Rotterdam, Netherlands. So, maybe that is why I was receptive to watching this movie in the first place. Definitely a good movie to watch, but not a Friday night flick.

Layer Cake (L4yer Cake) found its way to my viewing list after Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and I was.... who in the devil is that blond guy. As it turns out it is Daniel Craig. I put the movie on my netflix list and one movie after another kept getting put on the top of my list, so I really did not see this one till recently.

What did I think about the movie? Damn! (Can I say that on the internet?) what a script, what set of characters; so unique, so violent and so damn (so, I swore again!) criminal. The movie reminded me of Lock, Stock and two Smoking Barrels, and also Snatch. While both these are hilarious, Layer Cake I found to be that much darker and more serious.

Daniel Craig's (XXXX, nameless man in the movie) narrative is what opens the movie, and keeps you grounded, and ends the movie. I loved the movie, because, right from the first shot, the movie takes you from one the ordinary life to the criminal and switches back and forth. The movie holds your attention and you don't even want to blink an eye, lest you miss something important, like a look in the eye or a wave of the hand or something. The script at times is hilarious and so well delivered by all in the movie. At times I wasn't sure who I was rooting for. And! The ending..... awesome! I could not have thunk of another way to end the movie.

Well.... what are you waiting for.... go see this one and invite me if you don't want to see it alone. :)

"Viola! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance, a vendetta held as votive not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose. So let me simply add that it's my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V."

Whew! Billions of Blue Blistering Barnacles! I have heard any thing so verbose and so elequently delivered as the above in V for Vendetta. I watched this movie couple of days ago and quite presently surprised. I cannot believe I did not see this movie when it was in the theatres. It must be fantastic on the full screen. The story line is 'simple' yet very powerful. I have enjoyed reading Count of Monte Cristo, right from an early age, I have read the unabridged and later the full version and something about the idea of Edmond Dantes always remained alive and vibrant with me. This movie refers to Count of Monte Cristo and the Edmond Dantes multiple times and so closely resembles it (one man seeking vendetta on the wrong-doers). I love (read: absolutely love) Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, it always inspires me and brings hope for tomorrow. This is so well played in the movie with its significance of ending tyranny and bringing hope to the people. Like I have said before the soundtrack makes/breaks the movie for me, and this movie delivers and more!

Music for some of the movies stay with me so long that I end up shelling out $20 per CD for the soundtrack and invariably, the movie.music industry appears to know this, so they market not just soundtrack which has title something like "Music from...." but then they release another called "More Music from....". Of course, I am weak and I succumb to it all and buy them both...argh!!

So, what am I listening to this morning: Jurrasic Park.
There is history here. Long long time ago, my sister watched the movie when it was released and liked the music and she mailed me the cassette (remember those?). Without having ever watched the movie, the music caused heartbeats to quicken. And I was sold. Years later, I watched the movie, and the soundtrack went on my buy list. Just recently though, my finanical comptroller (well, that is me with a different hat) released some money to spend. And I did! I got me my own copy of Jurrasic Park. For the past few days, I have been listening to it continuously. That is what happens to me when I get a new CD, I listen to it, till I am ready to throw up.

Some of the others I love and own:
Braveheart.... and More music from Braveheart (Of course)
Gladiator.... and More music from Gladiator (duh, of course)
Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Mans Chest
Bliss
Children of Dune
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Snatch
Sum of All Fears
Thomas Crown Affair

Growing up back home, movies were a treat, a rare treat. Rarely would our theaters show any good movies. But every once in a blue moon, a great movie would come along and my father would insist on getting the family to go. As far as I remember, we never missed a Disney production. I remember being completely mesmerized with Snow White and Seven dwarfs, Lady and the Tramp, Cinderella and and..... well that is it. I knew then I was hooked on to the fairy tales, and the vivid pictures from Disney. The colors so crisp and so 'correct'. It is hard for me to describe in words the feel of pure color and all appropriately mixed to produce perhaps the world's best combinations, contrasts and hues and saturation....... but then I am getting passionately technical and horribly sentimental.

WHY THIS Nostalgia? Well, it is October, and not just any October 2006, and I have waited about 9 years for this. Well, I have waited for many things (sometimes patiently and sometimes frustrated) for 9-10 years. The Platinum release of my second¹ most favorite Disney movie........ The Little Mermaid. It was released on October 6, needless to say it was on my wish list and arrived at my doorstep this Saturday. I don't know whether the wait for 9 years was more aggravating, or was this past one week.  But like I said the wait was over......

Why do I love it so much? (in random order)
* Of course the colors...... something about under the sea, blues-greens and fantastic colors of corals, shells and sea creatures (notably some are horrid). Colors play, perhaps the most important role in these movies, and they convey feelings far far more, and in more depth than any words ever can.
* Oh.... the music.... & lyrics.... oh man! It is haunting.
* Sebastian and Scuttle.....
* Perhaps most touching, most intense moment for me (call me a sentimental old fool)...... is "Part of Your World"

Pssttt: Saturday night became a tissue box and wine night..... and Little Mermaid. Watched with a full box of tissues..... hmmmm.... have always watched this alone, maybe because it is too embarrassing to admit (forget share) that I cry buckets in some movies (read: most disney). But, there I said it, I do cry at movies.

¹The first is hands down without a doubt.......Beauty and the Beast...... 

Enigma (as defined by dictionary.com) is a) a puzzling or inexplicable occurrence or situation, b) a person of puzzling or contradictory character, c) a saying, question, picture,  etc.,  containing hidden meaning and finally d) a German-built enciphering machine developed for commercial use in the 1920s and later adapted and appropriated by German  and other Axis powers for military use throught the WWII.

Over the weekend, I saw the movie Engima and fell in love once again with ciphers and codebreakers. It is good movie, not a great one, simply because, I would have liked to see more of the codebreakers work. But the story line is good, and of course the music was a tad haunting, but great.  I saw the movie once and then again with the subtitles on as I really wanted to catch all the codebreakers logic. If you haven't seen it, I recommend it, it is good one.

Watched The Italian Job (2003) and thought Mark Wahlberg (Charlie Croker) (born in Dorchester, MA) was exceedingly cute. The plot and plan to steal gold bullion by staging a big traffic jam in Los Angeles, and getting away in Mini coopers was incredible. Love those mini-coopers.  Some parts of the movie got really boring and routine and rather out of place when Stella Bridger (Charlize Theron) poses as a TV/Cable repair-woman to get to Steve (Edward Norton). But hey, the car chase with mini-coopers was great.

When I saw this one, I researched to find that this was a remake from The Italian Job (1969). I am such a sucker to see the original and the new. It happened to me when I saw Thomas Crown Affair (1999), with Pierce Brosnnan (my then favorite), and I had to see the original (The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)) with Steve McQueen. But then I have moved away from the point. The original one, starts with soulful song "On Days Like These" (Written by Quincy Jones and performed by Matt Monro). I played the starting song about 20 times before I got sick of it. The movie itself was fantastic. The mini-cooper chase was so much more realistic and hilarious. The stunts were believable and stuck to the british flag colors. Some of the highlights which I simply loved:

• Charlie has just got out of prison and has to break into prison to get financing for his Italian Job. How cool is that idea!
• The chase.... great, hilarious, wacky and loads of goofiness
• Charlie's quote "You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off". All through the movie his manerisms were so funny, it cracked me up. Some of them were:
  • "You wouldn't hit a man with no trousers on, would you?", when he thought he was going to be beaten up.
  • "Just remember this... in this country they drive on the wrong side of the road", when the team is just about to start of the caper and their getaway is primarily in cars.
  • "Hang on guys, I have an idea", {spoiler!} when the bus is hanging off the edge of the cliff with the gold on the wrong end, the team on the safe side and Charlie in between and the bus is swaying, threatening to topple over into the cliff. This is also the ending to the movie. I say chaps! what a perfect ending to left hanging.... literally

All in all, I say five stars, and a must see.