Prince of Persia

Director Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Donnie Brasco, HarryPotter 4 n Pushing Tin to name a few) sets out to bring us a new video-game-to-screen attempt. With previous efforts (not Mike's) like Doom, Street Fighter, Mario Bros n Mortal Kombat failing to even reach the shadow of their original games' glory, i was apprehensive about catching his flick.

I mean in defense of the genre, a lot of stories in video games are absurd, with weird and crazy characters and moves, action and mind-blowing graphics almost impossible to match. But where there have been some respectable attempts (see Lara Croft, Final Fantasy*, Resident Evil (1st one only) and Max Payne (well i liked it!) I was still cautious about expecting much about it.

Surprisingly, well pleasantly though, i truly enjoyed this movie. Jake Gyllenhall managed to pull of the role of Prince Dastan who gets entangled in a time-skipping adventure with new 'it' gal Gemma Arterton, along with Sir Ben Kingsley and the awesome screen presence of Alfred Molina. Action packed, with some very cool CGI, good one liners and slick swordplay (well it's set in a loong time ago, no guns!) makes for a truly entertaining fare just short of 2 hours.

Story goes a little like this: an orphan is adopted into the royal family, but grows up to be the roguish hero of lot, and is always eager to please his brothers. As part of a campaign for their father the King, the princes lay siege to a holy city (after some dubious reasoning by their uncle {sidenote: very Mahabarata-ish this part}). This sets off a chain of events that leads thru an ostrich race, some Hassansins, sandstorms, snakes, and swords! Loads of swords!

* it was animated, but was damn realistic CG that one

verdict : nice one!

Series Finale(s)

This weekend marks the closing of the past 6 years journeys of two of my favourite TV shows. From the concepts, writing, acting performances, strength in story telling (no matter how absurd they seemed), thrills, action and downright woah-shocker-twist-dang it-wtf-b!@tch!! moments over the past 6 and 8 seasons respectively, Lost and 24 will both face their final curtain call this Sun and Mon.

How will it turn out for the remaining survivors of the ill fated Oceanic flight 815? And how will it end for the downward spiral Jack Bauer finds himself trapped in now? How??

All answers will be revealed. And since it's not live here in Bolehland, you'll be sure that i'll be downloading em to watch, while staying clear away from the blogs, reviews, yahoo etc. Nooo spoilers for me.

Housefull

it's been awhile since my last hindi flick outing, and i guess 3 Idiots had satisfied that thirst enoug. But now, with an interesting trailer, and an attractive (both in performances and being visually appealing) cast with much to promise peaked my curiosity enough to make a trip down to the neighborhood cinema to catch this one. Why not right...

OOh wrong. First half hour had me cringing at the bad acting, lame script, very rehearsed slapstick, and even poorer comedic timing. I thought i had duped myself into believing that it couldn't have been that bad. But it was. Bad. Very bad. first 30 minutes.

But then it took a small twist in the plot, and additional characters were introduced, mainly Boman Irani (yeay!). A couple of entertaining (read lyrically funny) songs, some great one liners and we were off. Some measure of relief. Maybe.

So all in all Akshay Kumar pulled off his role well, aptly supported by current hit gal Deepika Padukone, Ritesh Deshmukh(he had the best lines in the movie), Lara Dutta (after Blue, you'd thought she'd bounce back, but hasn't gotten the right roles yet), Jiah Khan, and a bunch of cameos.

simple story, some foot tapping songs, but great one-liners, and some hilarious situations all in all barely saves the flick.

verdict: um... watch it if u have a free night, but leave ur brain in the car for this one

Robin Hood

Ridley Scott teams up again with his Gladiator star Russell Crowe to bring to us an awesome retelling of the famous folk lore of Robin Hood. This realistic and almost historically accurate depiction enables us to enjoy the tale from a totally different aspect.

We join Robin as an archer in King Richard's in the Crusades, who makes his way back to England with a few fellow deserters at the end of the war. Bent on completing a task, he heads to Nottingham where he meets Marion (Cate Blanchett) and seems to find his place back in civilization, until Sir Godfrey(Mark Strong)'s forces (he's working with the French) start to create havoc in the north and eventually happen upon Robin n his pals.

From there on it gets all action with the lords joining forces to drive out Sir Godfrey and the French, ally with a King they despise and then drive off the marauding forces of King Phillip on the shores of England, in front of the picturesque Seven Sisters.

However, the King then goes against his word, and outlaws Robin Hood and his men, who then seek refuge in Sherwood Forest... and hence begins the tale.

While there were a lot of mixed criticism from many quarters, i enjoyed the storytelling in this form. It seemed more real (Costner's version was always very romanticised), and more believable. Crowe is spectacular as usual, and while not as good as Gladiator, he does a great job wielding the longbow. Cate Blanchett's portrayal of Marion is nothing like the damsel in distress in earlier versions. She's equally apt with sword n bow, and while the chemistry is not entirely convincing, she was superb in her role.

Mark Strong is coming up with better performances with each movie he is cast in, but he may want to start looking for other roles other then the typecast baddie. as in Kick-Ass, Strong is utterly good playing bad!

The soundtrack i felt was a little let down, maybe this could have been what let the overall experience fall a little short.

verdict : Value for money, but could be much more

TV Show Update Pt 2

So here's the latest, based on the previous post

CANCELED/ENDING
FlashForward (ABC) - NO SEASON TWO

Heroes (NBC) - WILL END AFTER CURRENT SEASON

Nip/Tuck (FX) - WOW didn't see this one coming 7 seasons

Trauma (NBC) - Damn shame about the damn ratings.

24 (Fox) - Thanks Jack! for 8 great seasons!!
Dollhouse (Fox) - saw it coming
Eastwick (ABC) - ditto
Lost (ABC) - Thanks Jack (nope not Bauer)
Scrubs (ABC) - couldnt replace the magic from before

Iron Man 2

now this is indeed a little late, but in my humble defense, i did miss about 18 minutes during my first viewing (i know, i admit i'm a twit!) so i had to make sure i could only do a write up after watching it in full, hence the second viewing!! So here goes.

This time we join Tony Stark as he continues to be America's favorite son, who maintains the global peace while trying to fend off the Uncle Sam's effort to obtain the Iron Man weapon. So while he continues being his narcissistic self (he admits it later hehe), with Pepper Pots (Paltrow - thank god she got more screen time this time) trying to keep him sane manages to entice new enemies (of course) and in the process enrage his buddy Rhodes (Cheadle this time around), all while keeping a fatal secret to himself.

We follow Downey Jr n co on a superb sequel of a roller coaster ride, with excellent one-liners, great action, loads of tips and hints towards the Avenger initiative, which continues to develop all while we root for the usual good vs bad outcome. What else do u want? It is a comic book story!

And who knew Downey Jr could make good be so bad...i had a pal who couldn't get enough of Tony Stark, he said the movie was too short. Well to each his own man crush!

Col Nick Fury's (Jackson) short role, accompanied by butt-kicking eye candy Agent Romanoff (Sca-Jo!) and Agent Coulson manage to give more signs towards the long awaited Avengers movie being one of the heir apparent stars in the Marvel Studio's barn.

For once, in the recent crazy times, a great action movie WITHOUT 3D! Yeay!

verdict: Heck Yeah!

ps: so did u guys see the shield, maps, hammer etc? No? maybe this will help >

TV Shows update

Got an update on the regular shows i usually watch/download/follow from a yahoo article. With summer movie releases in full swing, it's that time of the year the networks reshuffle the lineups in preparation for the fall (note for those uninitiated: Fall is for TV what Summer is for the big screen)

RENEWED (YEAY!!!)

30 Rock (NBC)
The Amazing Race (CBS)
Bones (Fox)
Brothers & Sisters (ABC)
Cougar Town (ABC)
Fringe (Fox)
Glee (Fox) - haven't really followed, but those episodes i did catch seemed ok.
The Good Wife (CBS)
Modern Family (ABC)
Survivor (CBS)

LOOKING GOOD
American Idol (Fox) -wonder how they're gonna fare after the Royal Sulk leaves
The Biggest Loser (NBC)
Chuck (NBC)
Criminal Minds (CBS) - if only i had back episodes
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS)
CSI: Miami (CBS)
CSI: NY (CBS)
Grey's Anatomy (ABC)
House (Fox)
One Tree Hill (CW)
Private Practice (ABC)
V (ABC)

NOT LOOKING SO GOOD
FlashForward (ABC) - predicted this may not get to a 2nd season
The Forgotten (ABC) - this too
Heroes (NBC) - one season too far?
Trauma (NBC) - this one sooo deserves to be extended

CANCELED/ENDING
24 (Fox) - Thanks Jack! for 8 great seasons!!
Dollhouse (Fox) - saw it coming
Eastwick (ABC) - ditto
Lost (ABC) - Thanks Jack (nope not Bauer)
Scrubs (ABC) - couldnt replace the magic from before

The Losers

In trend with a lot of other comics that have been brought to life on the silver screen(see previous post), Vertigo Comics' The Losers' is the latest of the lot. With an ensemble cast inclusive of Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana, Chris Evans, and Idris Elba, this tale of an elite covert force which has been betrayed and are thought to be dead by the agency they work for while on a mission in a south american jungle. Sounds familiar? well it is from a comic (duh!). They come back stateside to seek out their nemesis, and while cliched as it goes, the battle ensues!

Right from start to end, it's action packed, and loaded with slick slow-mo moves, explosions galore, mind-blowing stunts and witty, sometimes comic-style corny one-liners. While thoroughly entertaining, it's not really strong on the story or depth of characters.

And that's where i truly enjoyed it! As a comic-brought to life in full comic style, and it's totally unapologetic about it.

Morgan is believable as the troubled leader of the troupe, with Elba as the conflicting 2nd in command with a grip on reality. Evans provides a lot of the comic relief (loved his Glee highlight!) while Saldana sizzles as the mysterious benefactor with more then a hidden agenda. And to borrow a line from the movie "Man, she's volatile".

verdict : pure popcorn laugh-action enjoyment.

Stewart and Colbert renew contracts!

Good news for fans of the Comedy Central duo who provide the best fake news in Tinseltown!

read here for the full news:

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/tvnews.php?id=65353

Kick-Ass

Mathew Vaughn brings this tale originating from a comic of the same name to life. But unlike most of the past few years big budgeted, high-profile Marvel/DC type comic-movie, this one is sans a big name actor in the main role, and sort of takes a funny look into a superhero's life.

Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) is a high-school loner who always wandered why people didn't really become superheroes. After several failed attempts, a video of him protecting an innocent on Youtube sets him on his way. His adventures bring him across fellow 'superheroes' Red Mist and father/daughter pair Big Daddy and Hit Girl. Now these two characters saved this movie from being mediocre.


Semi Batman costumed Nic Cage(Con Air, Face Off etc etc) and purple wigged Chloe Moretz (Wicked Little Things, The Eye, but most notable for 500 Days of Summer) hit it off really well, and provide a lot of the drama and some of the comic relief, while managing to stay totally bad ass! And they have a lot of the best lines. even the vulgar ones (director and production team took a lot of flak from the public for the language content, especially for the 11 year old's lines)! If I was a 12-year old, I'd definitely fall for Hit-Girl. hahaha.

But all in all, the story of how a hero is born, and then picked on and ridiculed and finally comes into his own is sooo cool! And this is one i'd hope for a sequel.

Verdict: Booking my ticket for second viewing as you are reading this!

**update (21/10/10) - watched it for second time, and it still rocks!! woohoo!

Carla Gugino joins Showtime's Californication

woohoo!

Carla Gugino will have a season four-long arc on Showtime’s Californication, Deadline Hollywood reports. She’ll play a “likeable corporate attorney” and new love interest for David Duchovny’s Hank Moody. Hank was arrested in the season three finale after physically assaulting Mia’s boyfriend/manager, who’d suggested Hank and Mia come clean about having sex when she was 16 — and her blackmailing him into letting the world think she wrote his novel about their affair — on Oprah. (Hank finally had to tell Karen about the secret — on the eve of them moving back to New York together as a family — and, well, that didn’t go well.)

What do you think? If anyone could make a corporate attorney “likeable,” it would be Gugino. She has that sweet face, and the rare ability to see-saw between family-friendly fare (the Spy Kids trilogy, Night at the Museum, Race to Witch Mountain) and decidedly-adult offerings (Entourage, Watchmen, Women in Trouble). I think she’ll be an interesting match for Moody — she’s someone the audience will feel protective of, and yet trust to take care of herself.

Cashmere Mafia’s Addison Timlin has also been cast in a recurring role.

Rachel Weisz is Jackie Kennedy

Entertainment Weekly reports that Rachel Weisz is attached to star in Jackie, about the immediate days following President Kennedy's assassination. Weisz's fiance, director Darren Aronofsky will direct and produce, along with his producing partner Scott Franklin and their Protozoa Pictures film company.

The project had been rumored to be a TV film, but it is going to theaters instead. Noah Oppenheim wrote the script. The magazine says that Jackie "catalogs the four days between Kennedy's assassination and his burial, showing the beloved Kennedy at both her most vulnerable and her most graceful."

How to Train Your Dragon

Now this is what you call a 3D movie (see the prev movie review)!!

Dreamworks comes up with an awesome awesome movie with great graphics, superb animation, a strong enough storyline coupled with Scottish-sounding Nordic vikings (compliments of Butler and Ferguson!) all came in together comfortably!

Kudos to on the animation, and the ideas to give different breeds of Dragons and the best of course is Toothless, the main dragon in the movie. Shaped and following a Stealth-based theme, he was awesome!!

I loved the way it wasn't too Disney-ish but at the same time kept up the action level, and made full use of the 3D effects to give the audience (well, me at least) a joyful ride from start to end. And i wanted more! to me that's alwiz a sign of a good movie for me!!

verdict : go watch it in 3D!!

Clash Of The Titans

oops.. i knew i forgot something.. haha ... watched the movie recently but forgot to post a review. So here it is.

I was always going to compare this with the original, no way u couldn't compare it.

But this time, it was awesome too. I watched the 2D version, cos i had heard loads of poor reviews about a post-production 3d edit, and it had turned out crappy.

So, with flavour of the month Sam Worthington heading an interesting ensemble, i was pleasantly surprised about how much they stuck to the original storyline. And with the updated effects (woah Pegasus looks damn superb!!) and the supporting cast was superb as well (except for Liam Neeson who i thought was a little over-indulgent).

verdict: awesome!!

Solomon Kane

James Purefoy, most fondly remembered as the Prince who gave Heath Ledger a second chance to joust in Knights Tale and as Marc Anthony in HBO's Rome, takes on a lead role here inspired by the Wierd Tales series of stories by Robert E Howard.

Basically the tale follows the life of a former mercenary of the Queen, who once realises his soul is damned, turns to a life of a puritan. But where would be the fun in that? Evil befalls a family who had taken him into their fold, and he now uses his 'killer skill' to battle Satan's forces himself to save the young child of that family , hoping to be absolved of his sins and be saved from Hell (i know i'm rambling here , but sounds familiar to anyone? Constantine? no? well maybe just me).

While the story is predictable to much of an extent, but Purefoy's acting is what saves this from being purely a mystical action ride. He gives much credibility to the role, and with solid assistance from Max Von Sydow(The Exorcist, Dune, Minority Report etc), Pete Postlethwaite (Last of The Mohicans, Usual Suspects*, The Constant Gardener etc) and Mackenzie Crook(Pirates Trilogy - yeah, the one with the wooden ball for an eye), manages to pull it off.

I liked it, even though it was predictable. I wonder if it will go ahead as planed to finish of as a trilogy. Who knows? Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 87%.

* - as Mr Kobayashi, Keyzer Soze's right hand man. AWESOME!

verdict : coin well spent, but hope if it is indeed a trilogy, the second and third part better not be as predictable

Captain America casting announced!

(thanks nim for the update!)

Heat Vision has just released the following:

Chris Evans accepts 'Captain America' mantle (exclusive)

Chris Evans will play Steve Rogers, also known as Captain America.

Sources tell us the actor has not only accepted Marvel's offer, first detailed on Friday, but that the dealmaking moved so fast it's now all about dotting the i's and crossing the t's.

Marvel would not comment on the development, and CAA, which reps the actor, declined comment.

Evans was offered the role in Marvel Studios' production last week, but there was some question of whether he would accept. Factoring in to the choice was the fact that Evans played Johnny Storm, the flame-covered superhero known as the Human Torch in Fox's "Fantastic Four" movies. Was he ready to play another superhero and take on the trappings that come with such a high-profile part?

From Coming Soon :

Chris Evans ("Fantastic Four" films) has accepted Marvel Studios' offer for him to play Steve Rogers/Captain America in the Joe Johnston-directed The First Avenger: Captain America. Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely wrote the script.

Marvel would not comment on the development, but we expect the official announcement will be made soon.

The deal calls for Evans to star in at least three "Captain America" movies, with the first hitting theaters on July 22, 2011.

He would reprise the role in The Avengers, which will united Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and the Incredible Hulk (Edward Norton) in one film. That film is scheduled for May 4, 2012. The character also will likely make cameo appearances in Marvel's other films.

Hugo Weaving will play the villain Red Skull in The First Avenger: Captain America.

New Series

over the last week , two series premiered in the US, and thanks to the wonders of the internet, and the ingenious technology of file sharing and online streaming, i had the opportunity to watch em! so here goes.
HBO's new 10-part miniseries is The Pacific. Brought to by Tom Hanks/Steven Spielberg and the same team who brought you Band of Brothers, this time the docu-feature covers the US Marine Corps action during the 2nd World War. First episode takes place on Guadalcanal and starts off with a lot of promise. Simple story telling, with live action scenes and similar interview format at the beginning, I can say that if first episodes anything to go by, then i'd say it'll be awesome, and of similar impact as Band of Brothers.

Verdict : Highly recommended, and eagerly anticipating the remaining episodes


FX premiered it's latest drama about a southern-bred, tough but soft-spoken (i'd say slow speaking) lawman with a "If i draw, it'll be to put you down" attitude played interestingly enough by Timothy Olyphant. Based on writer Elmore Leonards novels on the character Marshall Raylan Givens, i was pulled into the story line of a gunman with olden day style and values in a modern life. Strong opening episode, and the ratings don't disagree with me. Second highest ratings for this network only to The Sheild, means this one is gonna be one to watch for.

Olyphant suits the role, i'd say a bit too well... and damn he's fast!

Verdict : Got me a new favourite. Hopefully doesn't get cancelled after a season (See Trauma, Jericho, Life, Life on Mars, etc)

RIP Peter Graves

Actor Peter Graves, has passed away at the age of 83 of natural causes. After a long career, from which he was most famously known for his roles as Jim Phelps (Mission Impossible 1967-73 & 1988-1990) and Cpt Clarence Oveur (Airplane!), Peter was also a long-running host of the Biography series. His last big-screen role was in Men in Black II (2002).

He won a Golden Globe in 1971 for his role as Jim Phelps and a Primetime Emmy as host of A&E's Biography in 1997. He was also honoured in 2009 with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Rest in Peace.

Double Header Sunday

Zoomed off to catch a couple of action movies yesterday, and was rather looking forward to see how a new gen action flick would do against one from a waning (in more ways then one) stars'.

Here goes.

Green Zone, the latest offering from director Paul Greengrass who teams up yet again with Matt Damon (they worked together on the last 2 Bourne movies), is credited to be inspired by "Inspired Life in the Emerald City" by journalist Rajiv Chandrasekaran. Telling the story of how Chief Miller (Damon) leads his team on the search for WMDs after the initial landing of US and other forces in Iraq in 2003, Greengrass serves up quite the similar effects and style of visualisation that he's come to be famous for. Quick hand held camera action and staccato editing makes a very intense action film seem to race by at a pulsating rate.

I was impressed with the action scenes, although at times it was kinda too shaky for me, but seemingly realistic gun fights, and chases (There has been some info from interviews Damon made that the team accompanying him are played by actual soldiers!), combined with a hollywood-ised 'real' story made for very good entertainment, while trying to portray the truth as far possible as it could.

Damon doesn't do much wrong in this flick, and judging from recent performances (Invictus, Informant, etc), i can only predict him to go on to be a bigger star. Kudos!

Verdict: worth every popcorn bite!

Edge of Darkness, however, portrays aging action man Mel Gibson in a role we've seen him do all too many times (Ransom, Payback, Patriot anybody?) but still manage to pull off a believable performance.

The story here is all too predictable, with some reference to corporate America trying to hide some unpatriotic research which is uncovered by a tree-hugging outfit, which of course involves Mel's daughter. Story begins there, with patches of detective work and then some expected action scenes. Overall we know where the story is heading, and director Martin Campbell fails to build any anticipation towards the end.

Only bright spark is character David Jedburgh, played rather mysteriously by Ray Winstone(Departed, Indiana Jones, Beowulf) as an agency man(not disclosed which one though) who played judge and jury behind closed doors.

Well after an absence since Signs and We Were Soldiers, maybe looking upon this outing, Mel should probably start to play less action, and concentrating on directing them instead. (The man can direct u know). He can act, but maybe lay off the action mate.

Verdict : watch it if you're a Mel G fan or if you're bored.





oh on a side note, caught this one over breakfast. Hugh Grant plays himself in other movies, and SJP seems to be caught up in her Carrie role, this fare is almost enjoyable for small parts (very small parts).

Loved Mary Steelenburgen and Sam Elliot's roles as the Sheriff's who take in the Morgans under witness protection. But that's about it.

Verdict : watch it at home over breakfast, downloaded or borrowed.

Brothers

Tobey MaGuire, Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman turn in very very strong performances in this 2009 movie about a family that goes through a torrid time when Sam(Maguire) who is on his 4th Tour in Afghanistan goes missing and is presumed dead. Grace(Portman) tries to hold her family together and gets help from Tommy(Gyllenhaal), Sam's brother who is just out of jail.

When Sam is found alive and is brought back into their lives, but no one is the same again. Uncomfortable wouldn't start to describe it.

It was a strong story, with emotional performances by the 3 leads. One of the better movies of 2009 i'd say.

Verdict : very impressed

Invictus

a simple tale about a complicated phase of a nations history, wrapped around a global sporting event, in this case the IRB Rugby World Cup 2005. Clint Eastwood displays his usual strengths in portraying both Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon in the roles which portrayed the two protagonists of this journey.

A steady pace to the movie, very real feel to the occurrences on screen and stellar performances by the two leads (well worth the Academy Award nominations) give this vehicle enough mileage to keep you enthralled for the whole 2 hours. I found the dialogues simple yet meaningful, and in keep with the situation (meaning it wasn't too hollywood-ish). I also enjoyed the South African accents... a welcome from the basic LA fare.

One downside would be the finale game, which could have been more heightened in suspense, but it was good enough an attempt to keep you rooting for South Africa!.

Verdict : strong themed movie i'd probably enjoy again

and the winners are:

The full list of the 2010 Oscar winners from Oscar.com, the official site of the 82nd Academy Awards

Best Picture


The Hurt Locker

Directing

• 

  Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker

Actor in a Leading Role

• 

  Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart

Actor in a Supporting Role

• 

  Christoph Waltz -Inglourious Basterds

Actress in a Leading Role

• 

  Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side

Actress in a Supporting Role

• 

  Mo'Nique -Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Animated Feature Film

• 

  Up -Pete Docter

Art Direction

• 

  Avatar

Cinematography

• 

  Avatar

Costume Design

• 

  The Young Victoria

Documentary Feature

• 

  The Cove

Documentary Short

• 

  Music by Prudence

Film Editing

• 

  The Hurt Locker

Foreign Language Film

• 

  The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos)

  Argentina
  

Makeup

• 

  Star Trek

Music (Original Score)

• 

  Up -Michael Giacchino

Music (Original Song)

• 

  Crazy Heart -"The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)"
  

  Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Short Film (Animated)

• 

  Logorama

Short Film (Live Action)

• 

  The New Tenants

Sound Editing

• 

  The Hurt Locker

Sound Mixing

• 

  The Hurt Locker

Visual Effects

• 

  Avatar

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

• 

  Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Writing (Original Screenplay)

• 

  The Hurt Locker

  
  

Oscar fever is upon us!

It's tonight (if u're in the US) and tomorrow morning (here in Asia). So who'll it be? who are your favs? Will it be Cameron or Bigelow? Bullock or Streep? would the rumoured runaways winners be halted in mid-stride? who knows? Would Avatar take all 9 (non-acting) awards they're nominated for? Or Hurt Locker in their 10 categories? Precious (6) , Up(5), Up In The Air(6) all look to spoil the party for the earlier mentioned two.

You can use the ballot page above (obtained from the official Oscar.com page) to keep track!

For a full list of nominees : > see here.

Alice in 3D Wonderland

Well everyone knows the original story. Little gal falls down a rabbit hole, meets an odd assortment of personalities, has a grand adventure and so on so forth. Now take that story, and give it a master twist of a sequel, and you have Tim Burton's 2010 Alice in Wonderland!

Set 13 years after the original adventure, Alice goes back and boy what a journey. Only in Burton's imagination captured on screen gives this tale a colourful and wacky setting, and add to this mixture talents like Johhny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Crispin Glover, Anna Hathaway with the voices of Alan Rickman, Michael Sheen, and Stephen Fry to name a few, it worked superbly with newcomer Mia Wasikowska a good chance to shine.

Oh yes, Depp does an excellent job as he always does when he's with Burton.

Now GSC Gurney Plaza's 3D does give much concern for grief, what with the tiny hall and limited seating, i couldn't really enjoy the whole experience. But , i guess we beggars can't be choosers. In comparison to the other 3D experience, yes yes the all time biggest grossing hit so far, this one had more things flying at you (could be Disney's effort to ensure the kids stay entertained) and is a tad bit dark (mood, not lighting in the cinema). Would it be more fun in 2D? I suppose so, but i thoroughly enjoyed the 3D version. Now i can't wait to finish sampling the compilation soundtrack inspired by this tale (Almost Alice).

Verdict : Loved it!

Double header viewing

In view of the recent excitement of the Winter Olympics and the Hockey matches shown, I was in the mood for one of my more favorite hockey movies! So, as it was another off day, what better to do then to pop in the DVD !

This movie has loads of plus points. From the Aussie playing a sheriff of an Alaskan town, to the huge ensemble cast, to the build-up leading to the arrival of the NY Giants to play pond hockey, to a wonderful ending. This story of an underdog town is well made, with a good flow and injected at the right moments with comedy and drama, and ends up being a really good feel good movie.

From the director of the Austin Powers movies, this tale is sure to entertain.



This recent fare from Nicholas Cage had some rave reviews about his role, and it didn't disappoint.

Loosely (very) based on the 1992 Harvey Keitel starer, this one has Cage in the title role as a cop who end up injuring his back while saving a convict post-hurricane in New Orleans. He ends up with an addiction to the pain killers, and soon starts to spiral out of control, moving onto recreation drugs. Add to this mix, his gambling problem, his link to a prostitute (Eva Mendes) and a multiple homicide involving a local drug lord (Xzibit).

i was impressed, and have got to agree that this is surely one of Cage's best work. and upon checking, there are a lot of critics out there who have this movie listed in their top 10 of 09. Which makes me wonder, how did Cage not get nominated for the Oscars?

Verdict : good flick. very worthwhile!