killer looks

Munich: In the aftermath of the tragic slaying of eleven Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics, a secret band of highly trained agents is formed to track down and kill the men responsible for the murders. As their mission unfolds, its repercussions begin to take a psychic toll on Avner, the group's leader.
Astounding performance by leading man Eric Bana. His piercing eyes stay with you throughout as he goes down the torturous path of the mastermind seeking revenge on the terrorists. Each kill is a treat to watch, and every single character is masterfully put together. I would watch this film more for its performances than anything else. I still preferred Crash, and Brokeback to it in terms of entire packages. One thing it does manage to do is switch scenarios artfully, from english to french to middle eastern... Interesting!!

six secrets

"I have Six Stalwart Serving Men,
They taught me all I know,
Their Names are What and Where and When,
And Why and How and Who."
--Rudyard Kipling

After ascertaining the methods etc. of a process, by using the 5 questions of What, Where, When, How and Who, question each and every detail Why?... Why?... Why?...
This is the secret of creativity.

risque?

Risks

- by Janet Rand


To laugh is to risk appearing the fool
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental
To reach out for another is to risk involvement
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self
To place ideas and dreams before a crowd is to risk being called naïve
To love is to risk being not loved in return
To live is to risk dying
To hope is to risk despair
To try is to risk failure
But risk must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing
The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing,
is nothing and becomes nothing
They may avoid suffering and sorrow, but they
cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live
Chained by their certitude, they are slaves; they have forfeited their freedom
Only a person who risks is truly free

good and bad

Capote: More tears are shed over answered prayers than unanswered ones... thats how Capote ends. The story of the unscrupulous author of In Cold Blood who shocked most around him with his provocative remarks is worth watching if only to see a realistic portrayal of the author by actor Philip Seymour. The film is a mix of thriller, drama, love story albeit a bit skewed, and history. If Seymour's voice begins to grate midway, clench your teeth and keep watching. It's a telling tale about how people will go to any lengths to get what they want only to realize that perhaps they shouldn't have wanted it in the first place!

Broken Flowers: A man in his 50s gets a note from an ex-lover saying they have had a a son, a fact that she has kept hidden from him for 20 odd years. She doesn't disclose her name which gets the aging hero into a tailspin as he begins the long voyage of visiting all the girlfriends of his past to see whether they fit the "bill".
bill Murray here is fantastic, the film as a whole is not. One thing to glean from this is that no matter how much we try to alter the art of filmmaking, closure will always be number one priority for audiences all over. They need to know that the two hours they spent on a story has been wisely invested. Which is why when you see a film end, too philosophically, giving nothing away, you are left wanting. That's not a nice feeling to have either in real life or reel. Which is why Broken Flowers is a great story but not a great film. Sadly! Since it had so much potential. Watch it if you are a fan of Murray's poker-faced expressions, and clenched-lip sarcasm.

black, white, and shades of gay

since i am in the process of hurriedly catching up on "the best films of 2005", here are my next 2 entries:
Crash: absolutely loved it, thought provoking, it brought to the surface the simmering rage between blacks and whites in america. without being preachy, it maintained the racy pace without once going overboard. one word to sum it up -- clever!!
Brokeback Mountain: don't know why it keeps reminding me of Bridges of Madison County. it's the same kind of love story that extends 20 years, set in breath-takingly beautiful countryside, with one of the protagonists dying in the end. Madison County was heart-stopping, can't say the same for Brokeback... though the performances between the two gay men here was as good as it gets, the film as a cohesive whole didn't do much for me. why has it got a nomination? well, now that gay marriages have been legalized, on screen gay romances might just seem the order of the day!!

purrfect man

I have been tagged by Mindcurry.

Rules of the game are...

1. The tagged victim has to come up with 8 different points of their perfect lover.
2. You need to mention the sex of the target.
3. Tag 8 victims to join this game & leave a comment on their comments saying they’ve been tagged.
4. If tagged the 2nd time, there’s no need to post again.

Sex of the target :
Male (in this case)

The Perfect man

1. A Comic- he should possess the ability to laugh at himself once every day

2. A Maverick- he should not have to rely on tried and tested formulas to live his life

3. An adventurer- he should not be afraid to take risks, or lose

4. A solutions provider- he should be able to come up with a solution on the fly, ones that work of course

5. A believer- he should have one passion which he will do anything for, which is non-work related

6. A bit of Bond- he should be a lover of gadgets and intelligent design

7. Aesthetic- he should have an eye for beautiful things

8. Medicine man-he should have a cure for all my ills, physical/mental/spiritual

8 and a half- he should juxtapose all his TV watching read cricket/WWF with my ha-ha-ha serials

two of a kind

m night shymalan has an interesting take on people. in unbreakable he puts forth a theory that for every individual on this earth, there is an exact opposite. so for every evil black guy out there, there is an honest to god white man to keep the balance. and everyone should make a concerted effort to meet this personality if only to get enlightened on how the other side works...
the concept is quite intriguing, it gives a completely new twist to the tried and tested "opposites attract".
like, i always wonder, are all people in a relationship really at diametrically opposite ends of the spectrum? i for one don't think so. i think two people who come together are arguably more alike at the core than they would like to believe. and i'm referring to relationships that make it here.
which is why one is often caught wondering "what do those two see in each other?" see being the operative word, they are actually seeing things you and i can't and never will see. that's why some of the unlikeliest couples make it while the ones you thought were "made for each other" don't!

worldly wise

ok...so now mans world has decided that there are just too many single women doing the rounds of clubs and bars looking for men who come in presentable packages. and they have stepped in with a TV show that will tell men that shoes, watches,and fingernails are what will find them a companion for life. so naturally, business in parlours, watch outlets, and shoe shops, is booming. and why not?
which brings to mind a thought... what women look for in men is 2 accessories, and one body part--well trimmed and packaged. so what do men look for in women? the reverse? 2 body parts and one accessory? he he. anyone up for "woman's world?"

flick pick

movies i caught up with:
transamerica ***
brillant performance by felicity hoffman. great in desperate housewives, she excels here as the man opting for surgery to become a woman. in true grit and spirit, she delivers a fantastic portrayal of the trauma and suffering transsexuals experience in their quest for a better life in a gender-friendly body. Must watch.
Matador**
Watch this if only to see pierce brosnan deliver a volatile performance as an assassin on the brink of a nervous breakdown. though the film as a whole wasn't spectacular, pierce is completely astonishing...never would have thought there's this much hope for james bond!
syriana*
written by the guy who wrote traffic, one is sorely disappointed by the disparate characters. though it all came together in traffic, coz the plot was so riveting, the sheikhs and their oil in this case, didn't quite have the same impact. george clooney was somewhat Ok, though i don't know why he won a globe, and matt damon was poker faced. should be renamed sorryiana...

why madonna rocks

heard her new single "hung up" the other day and since it has been ages since i have listened to madonna, i didn't quite know how to react to it. pop songs are no more my listening pleasure but this particular one brought back the memories of a red-lipped madonna wearing lace and garters, looking wild, as she gyrated. it also brought back images of college socials in the middle of the day and enthusiastic DJs called chris and ryan falling back on La Isla Bonita to rev up the crowd.
hung up has some great tempo, and you kind of get hooked on to it real quick, even if you are well past the disco stage/age.
i distinctly remember moving to the beat the whole song through, even though i was in the midst of serious work! that's madonna for you.
she may not be able to match J K Rowlings in writing children's books, but she sure can give beyonce a run for the booty...

vodka shots

i read today that circus elephants in russia are being given gallons of vodka to keep warm. now that's an interesting thought. the report did not mention if it went to their heads... what would it be like encountering a pachyderm with a drunk trunk?

see; see

it's no small wonder what J K Rowlings can do with just one tree. it can morph into a monster, it can look angelic, it can turn into a cave, it can exhibit fangs. what makes imagination run this wild?
i find most people around me have stopped reading completely. they are all watching moving pictures. but watching moving pictures does not help you hone your visualization skills.
people who read more are always the ones who visualize better. and being able to form mental pictures effectively helps you in any field of work.
like many people i know cannot get through a gabriel garcia marquez book. they find it tedious, too many words, and too many images to form in the mind. but imagine if you were to spend an hour daily connecting far flung images together.
one hundred years of solitude is one heavy load of imagery, and imagining ants, soldiers, lilies, and gunshots all in a span of 5 minutes is exhausting.
but you kind of get used to it, and are able to rationalize better the next time you are confronted with one of life's tricky problems. that's the power of visualization. it's what today's corporates refer to as the "global picture".
and getting it is what keeps you at the top of the heap. it's also why "well-read" is still used to sum up an interesting personality... or is it "well-googled" now?

not my own...

Hello kindred spirit brother!
Have you traveled far today?
"Far enough" I know you'd say!
And when again we meet,
"We may have fun or we may have grief;
whatever it is, we'll dare it.
and we may go broke and we may get rich;
whichever it is, we'll share it."
You know, kindred spirit brother,
this is always the best way;
I can never believe in any other.
Cause in the vagabond's house they say,
"Theres time and stories for all to share!"
Theres not enough miles to seperate smiles,
and time is too free, not to dare!
Have you traveled far today?
I was hoping you'd ask!
"Far enough" brother, "for today!"
But theres always tomorrow;
and stories for today!

word of 2005

editors of the New Oxford American Dictionary have selected "podcast" as the Word of the Year for 2005. Podcast is defined as "a digital recording of a radio broadcast or similar program, made available on the Internet for downloading to a personal audio player".
ways to use it:
so are you a podcaster? have you podcasted? stop podcastinating...

disco top 25

here's a master list of all-time hot disco songs that i chanced upon for those of you/us who like disco... it's reportedly an eclectic collection for the highly discerning disco fan.
i have heard all of five/seven i think.

The Undisputed Truth: "Ball of Confusion," "Higher Than High"

Eddie Kendricks: "Goin' up in Smoke," "Keep on Truckin'"

Gloria Gaynor: "Never Can Say Goodbye"

Silver Convention: "Fly Robin Fly"

Pierre Bachelet: soundtrack from "Histoire D'O (Story of O)"

ABBA: "SOS," "Knowing Me, Knowing You," "Voulez-Vous," "Fernando"

Diana Ross: "Love Hangover"

The Trammps: "Disco Inferno," "I Feel Like I've Been Living (on the Dark Side of the Moon)"

Marvin Gaye: "Got to Give It Up"

The Isley Brothers: "Go for Your Guns"

Sylvester: "Stars," "Body Strong," "You Make Me Feel Mighty Real," "Do Ya Wanna Funk"

Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder: "Four Seasons of Love (four-part album)"

Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder, from "Once Upon a Time": "Now I Need You," "Working the Midnight Shift," "Queen for a Day," "Rumour Has It"

Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder, from "Bad Girls": "Hot Stuff," "Bad Girls," "Walk Away," "Lucky," "Sunset People"

Irene Cara and Giorgio Moroder: "Cue Me Up," "Flashdance (What a Feeling)"

Giorgio Moroder: soundtrack from "Midnight Express"

Yvonne Elliman: "If I Can't Have You"

Bee Gees: "Stayin' Alive," "Night Fever," "You Should be Dancing"

Evelyn "Champagne" King: "Shame"

Saint Tropez: "Violation"

Cerrone: "Je Suis Music," "Supernature"

Vicky Sue Robinson: "Turn the Beat Around"

The Michael Zager Band: "Let's All Chant"

Karen Young: "Hot Shot"

Cheryl Lynn: "Star Love"

Pattie Brooks: "After Dark"

Rick James: "You and I," "Super Freak," "Give It to Me, Baby"

Teena Marie and Rick James: "Behind the Groove," "Lover Girl"

Ashford and Simpson: "Found a Cure," "Don't Cost you Nothing'"

Jackie Moore: "This Time, Baby"

Machine: "There But for the Grace of God"

Gino Soccio: "Love Is," "S-Beat"

Jackson Five: "Can You Feel It?"

Michael Jackson: "Billie Jean," "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough," "Rock With You," "Shake Your Body"

Olivia Newton-John: "Physical"

Grace Jones: "Pull Up to the Bumper," "Demolition Man," "Slave to the Rhythm"

The Gap Band: "You Dropped a Bomb on Me"

Slave: "Slide"

Aretha Franklin and Luther Vandross: "Jump to It"

Prince: "Delirious," "1999," "Let's Go Crazy," "U Got the Look"

Lime: "Angel Eyes"

Chaka Khan: "Ain't Nobody"

Stephanie Mills: "Pilot Error"

C-Bank: "One More Shot"

Up Fron: "Infatuation"

Madonna: "Burnin' Up," "Into the Groove," "Lucky Star," "Dress You Up," "Open Your Heart," "Causing a Commotion," "Who's That Girl," "La Isla Bonita," "Vogue," "Deeper and Deeper"

Evelyn Thomas: "High Energy"

Laura Branigan: "Self-Control"

Pamala Stanley: "Coming out of Hiding"

Bronski Beat: "Smalltown Boy"

Bananarama: "Cruel Summer"

Alisha: "All Night Passion," "Into My Secret"

Patti Austin: "Gettin' Away With Murder"

E.G. Daily: "Love in the Shadows" (45 RPM Special Remix), "Mind Over Matter"

Dead or Alive with Pete Best: "You Spin Me Round"

Taste-T-Lips: "Hypnotize"

Inner City: "Good Life"

Adele Bertei and Jellybean Benitez: "Just a Mirage"

Pretty Poison with Jade Starling: "Nightime"

Jody Watley: "Don't You Want Me"

Real Life: "Send Me an Angel"

Isaac Hayes: "Shaft"

Curtis Mayfield: "Move on Up," "Superfly," "Freddie's Dead"

lincoln?

i feel good when i do something good,
i feel bad when i do something bad,
this is my religion.

pick up

watched The 40-year-old virgin, the other day, chart-topper supposedly. the film had its moments with a colourful, actually extremely colourful script, and some fairly graphic viusals. it's about any other loser male, except in this case, he is a virgin AND 40. enough to form the premise of a film that has got rave reviews. so here you have a completely simple, bicep driven, long-nosed, all american guy who is trying to get a piece of the action. interesting to see how the script unfolds. nice pick if you're looking for some mid-week laughs. not for a weeekend though. (but this is purely a female perspective.)

city of god

there are consistently two kinds of answers one gets upon enquiring after people in mumbai --
dead. divorced.

icons of our time

just something i came across.
"...If you were to draw a graph of innovation and Microsoft's wherewithal in terms of people, capacity, recruitment, training and salaries, you would find that the more Microsoft hired the best minds at the highest salaries, and so forth, the less innovation it got. For a user, there are no substantial changes whatsoever between the various versions of Microsoft Windows. For anybody who's used a 1990 version, a '96, '98, 2000 or XP version, it just seems like the color of the icons changes. Does it take 5,000 engineers with postgraduate degrees to change the color of icons...?"

two much

"...the creative person basically has two kinds of jobs: one is the sexy creative kind, second is the kind that pays the bills. Sometimes the task in hand covers both bases, but not often. this tense duality always plays centrestage. it will never be transcended..."