Right as rainy

… is perhaps not the best way to restart this blog after almost 3 months. But it’s the best way I can think of right now So let’s skip past the formalities and go straight ahead. I’ve watched four movies on the big screen in one week, I might as well write something about them. (continue reading…)

There are numerous theories about aliens and what they would do if they had to encounter our planet. Some say that they are among us, living unrecognized and not revealing themselves because humanity is too immature. Others think that they came and ran away crying over the obvious lack of civilization and progress in mankind. (Personally I am quite partial to that one). Scott Derrickson’s ‘The Day the Earth stood still’, a remake of the 1951 original, propagates another thought. They will come here, save what needs to be saved, and destroy the rest because it has gone out of control and run out of chances. (continue reading…)

Every now and then you come across something that takes you by surprise. Browse through the shelves at your favourite music/book/DVD store and find something you never thought of getting before, and in a flash of spontaneity (or a momentary lapse of sanity, whichever may apply) you get whatever caught your eye. It happens to me regularly, and the latest instance was with ‘Lost in Translation’, a movie that has been out for a couple of years but which I had never even considered before.

Sofia Coppola, daughter of the great Francis Ford, showed a remarkable ineptitude for acting in the third and final part of her father’s ‘Godfather’ trilogy. To her redemption, she has a remarkable aptitude for writing and directing, and a great hand for strong images and motifs. (continue reading…)

CSI Las Vegas, the original and (as far as I am concerned) only true CSI series, has gone into its 9th season a short while ago. And some rather unexpected events that happened during and at the end of Season 8, have led to the exit of three of the most prominent characters. Sara was the first to go after her ordeal as a target of the miniature killer. Then Warrick got killed because he was getting close to uncovering a connection between the PD and organized crime – too close for comfort. Now Grissom has taken the exit as well.

In a few interviews, William Petersen, actor as well as executive producer, has revealed that he was tired, that he needed a change from nine years of playing one and the same character. It is fathomable, especially for an artist, to not be able to do the same thing over and over for years. And let’s face it, Grissom’s character, while interesting and defining for the series, was rather rigid and allowed for very little development over the years. (continue reading…)

Whenever a movie is announced that is a conversion from another medium – book, comic, video game – I get a bit wary. Some of these movies worked – others were dismal failures on the count of quality. Out of all these options – comic adaptations seem to be the easiest, as they usually just take the general motive and spin a story which follows the spirit of the comic. Books and games are somewhat more difficult. How do you capture the essence of a 500+ page book in a movie of 90, maybe 120 minutes? Or the same for a game of 15, 20 hours?

The movie-to-game conversion has been around for a while, and very few times it actually works out well. Most movie-license games are just there to add something to the merchandise range and increase the profits from the franchise, but quality doesn’t always seem to be a concern (see “Calamity James“). And while the game-to-movie adaptations are still fewer in numbers, they will become increasingly more. (continue reading…)

There has been a number of films with a political background in the last few years – many of them are trying to create awareness for current or past, forgotten problems in the world. Ridley Scott’s recent circuit effort ‘Body of Lies’ joins the ranks of these, and sits right up there with the likes of ‘Lord of War’ or ‘Syriana’. It tells the story of an undercover CIA operative, who tries to infiltrate terrorist groups and network in the Middle East. A dangerous game, in which no-one can be trusted.

I don’t know if the writers tried to follow the zeitgeist, or if it is actually a story someone wanted to tell. Let’s face it, Muslim terrorists are hardly an original idea these days, and the danger of succumbing to stereotypes and propaganda is very high. But this one is not about the big struggle, the War on Terror. That’s only a background motif. Essentially the story is about a man who wants to do the right thing, who wants to make a small contribution so that some day the world can be a safer, better place. He believes that things need to be done the right way, not whatever it takes. That puts him in direct opposition to his boss, for whom all that counts is results, and anything goes as far as achieving them is concerned. That’s the kind of thinking that puts the operative at risk.

(continue reading…)