Rahul's Blah !!!

The Adventures of TINTIN - Review

2012-01-02T22:32:00.002-06:00

The Adventures of TINTIN - "Seeing the comic come to life in with such amazing graphics is good, but not great. The movie disappoints with it's changes from the original and a poor finish"

I must admit it's been almost 15 years since I last saw a TINTIN comic. But some of the most fun I had as a kid was reading these comics by Herge. This Steven Spielberg movie tries to take 3 books that introduce of Captain Haddock and the Unicorn's legacy.

The Crab with the Golden Claws
The Secret of the Unicorn
Red Rackham's Treasure

But to really have done justice to the books in this one movie, there was real artistic licence needed where elements from the 3 books were borrowed and tried to mesh into one book. The movie concentrates on Tintin meeting Haddock and their adventures in finding the secrets of the Unicorn. But Haddock did not meet Tintin while trying to uncover the Unicorn's secrets, he met him 2 books earlier, so they had to take part from the earlier book (Carb with the Golden Claw). All the way through the movie all you can do is make comparisons to the books and that's it's pitfall unfortunately. Too many changes to the story and an effort to combine 80% of Red Rackham's treasure into 10 minutes, created a very disappointing ending to the movie.

When you leave the movie theater, if you think about the movie in isolation, I'll say it was an average movie with really good graphics. In terms of the Tintin comics, the movie was a disappointment.

My Rating. 2.5/5.

happy new year,
Rahul.

Don 2 - Review

2011-12-24T17:30:00.003-06:00

DON 2 - "Traditional Action, Music & Bollywood Masala, with a incredibly slow first half and a good second half. Nothing to write home about, but fun at the movies nevertheless."

The Return of the King, That's the tag line the movie set out with and it's also the legend it had to live up to. I don't think anyone ever claimed that the first Don movie or it's subsequent remakes were classic movies with fantastic plots twists. But the first movie was an Amitabh Bachchan, angry young man classic with song and dance and fight sequences and Shah Rukh Kahn's re-interpretation was a stylized movie with a brilliant plot twist at the end at left most of us really thrilled that we saw something other than just a re-make. But what the movie did more than anything was left the door open for this one. Don 2.

For those that have not seen the first movie, please remember this is a sequel, and does not make much sense without the first one, but anyway it was a fast paced movie that slowed down along the way but picked up steam at the end, but was full of good music, car chases and fight sequences throughout. Good old masala. So anyone expecting anything more would be disappointed.

Let's get to the point. How was Part 2? Well to be honest if I had left during the intermission I would have gladly said the movie is horrible. The first half of the movie is long drawn out and boring, the acting by all actors in the movie is terrible, with not one of them showing an ounce of emotion. Kareena Kapoor showed more emotion in the one song that she came in the first movie than all of them did in this movie put together. But the movie does compensate with a good second half where they actually get into the job of storytelling and the twist at the end though expected, makes you leave the theater with a smile on your face. Does the movie shamelessly borrow sequences from Mission Impossible, sure and you are going to see the similarity all the time. But you will enjoy it.

So my rating? 2.5 would be it. Not good or bad.

A review is not going to make you go watch or avoid this movie, somewhere along the way you will watch it. The action is really good, the car chases are fun and you do recognize the music from the first movie, so like I said before it's Good old masala.

Rahul

Ra.One - Review

2011-10-28T09:06:00.001-06:00

Ra.One - "A Bollywood superhero flick with a lot of promise and an excellent first half, got bogged down by too much song & dance, masala and a lackluster story in the second half. But after Endhiran, this is the best special effects I have seen in an Indian movie. And for that reason alone, worth a watch at the theater"

When you decide to watch a superhero flick, there are certain things that should be left at the door. The first one being Logic. We watch these movies to have a good time, for a few laughs and some dramatic action sequences. To a large extend all these rules apply to Ra.One as well. Shahrukh Khan plays Shekar Subramaniam, a video game developer in London, who has a young son Prateek (played by Arman Verma) and tried to live up to his son's expectations of a bad ass game. His son tells him that Villains are cool and that his father should create the toughest super villain in the world. And thus from this wish comes Ra.One (a pseudonym for Raavan). As expected things go out of hand, and Ra.One comes into the real world and creates havoc. It's actually a good premise for a superhero movie, a super villain that's next to impossible to destroy and the hero, G.One created with all the good in Shekar's heart to vanquish him.

I tried imagining the movie without the song & dance routines that showed up every 10 to 15 minutes or so. The movie would have been 2 hours long at the maximum, they might have been able to keep the audience attention for that long and the shoddy ending may have been glossed over and to say make a hindi movie without the songs is not unheard of today. The second half of the movie adds not even half as much to the movie as the first half and as expected Kareena Kapoor is the movie as eye candy and to play the damsel in distress and does not really contribute much to the story, but then to do her justice, it's really a father and son story with G.One taking the place of Prateek's dad.

All in all not a great movie. It's just timepass and a good action & adventure movie.

My Rating: 3 on 5.

Rahul.

Real Steel - Movie Review

2011-10-09T12:13:00.000-06:00

REAL STEEL - "It's a feel good movie that provides a couple of hours of laughs and entertainment. Hey, Robot Boxing is action packed fun!"

Sometime in the near future, boxing goes out of style and Robot Boxing is the name of the game. Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman) is a former boxer who now fights in the ring using the robots, but times have changed and he can't really keep up. After a fight he is approached by some guys who tell him that his ex-girlfriend has died and certain things happen that his son Max Kenton (Dakota Gayo) comes to live with him and travel on the road as he fights this robots. Along the way they find ATOM a robot in a junkyard and they brush him up for the ring.

The movie is really a father-son story of endearment and a little guy taking on the the big guns kind of story. Dakota Gayo puts in a really wonderful performance as Max Kenton, that really makes you connect with the character and cheer the robot along. Hugh Jackman's chemistry with him really is what makes the movie worth a watch.

The only real reason to watch the movie on the big screen is the Robots, the boxing matches were actually a lot of fun. I'd give the movie an average rating of about 3 on 5.

Rahul

The Lion King - Not Really a Review

2011-10-01T18:21:00.003-06:00

The Lion King 3D (2011) - "It's interesting how a movie re-launched 17 years after is was first released tops the box office and is still as entertaining as ever. It's a wonderful family movie, kids will love it & 20 somethings that saw the movie as kids may find the movie nostalgic."

It's funny that we actually decided to go watch the Lion King at the theater. The TV has been filled with advertisements on it's DVD re-launch and I guess it was more of just a funny yearning to watch the movie again after all these years. 3D was just a good excuse to watch it again. We walk into the theater and there was one couple other than us there, every other family that was there were with kids. But hey I enjoyed the movie just as much as the rest of them.

But this is the real question, should the movie studios really consider re-launching some of the classics that did well in the past, Maybe digitally re-master some of them or maybe just even re-release them. Or was the only reason The Lion King did well was because it was targeted at children for whom The Lion King is a brand new experience and they would have ensured their parents take them for the movie. If some classic movies (not gonna list them) are released, I may actually go to the theater to watch them. Think about this, before the Star Wars prequels came out, the original 3 movies were re-mastered and re-released and were watched by quite a few people. I guess if there is already a definite fan following, it's without much risk.

Coming back to The Lion King, the first time I saw it, I must have been 10 years old. I remembered some funny things while watching the movie this time. Aposter I had in my bedroom, the Hakunamatta t-shirt I had & the really addictive music in the movie. The sound track of The Lion King is foot tapping good. It's uplifting and makes you smile.

Hey this is not a movie am going to recommending watching to anyone, that'll be silly. Watch it if you really want to, it is what it is, it's fun for an hour and half. No strong performances, just good ol' morals & fun.

I think it be unfair for me to rate this movie considering am not really the target audience. So am going give the movie 2 ratings. One that I normally give, and one that I think a child might give. :)

My Rating: 3 on 5
If I was still a kid: 4.5 on 5

Rahul.

THE DEBT - Review

2011-09-23T11:57:00.001-06:00

THE DEBT - Every Secret Comes with a price. - "A gritty fast paced movie, with excellent chemistry between the characters. Definitely worth a watch."

The movie set in two time lines. One in late 90's in Israel and the other in the 60's in East Berlin. It's about 3 Mossad agents, Rachel Singer, David Peretz and Stefan Gould who have been sent to east Berlin to extract a Nazi war criminal, Dieter Vogel (The Surgeon of Birkenau) who is accused of crimes against the Jews. They want to bring him back to Israel to stand trial for his crimes.

In the late 90's the 3 of them are heroes in their country and Rachel's daughter has written a book chronicling their bravery in East Berlin. But as the story of their bravery is being chronicled you start to realize that the story that the 3 of them have told the world of what happened 30 years ago in Germany may not be the entire truth and the ghosts of their pasts have come to haunt their present.

The character of Rachel Singer portrayed by Helen Mirren & Jessica Chastain, is at the core of the story, being the link between all four characters in that operation in 1966. What ties the two ladies together is the scar on their faces. Faces that tell so much of the story. One with a world of possibilities ahead and the other burdened with the horrors of what happened in the past.

It's quite a long movie, but you don't feel bored at any point during the story. I would definitely recommend this movie for anyone who wants to watch a good story and be entertained.

My Rating: 4 on 5.

Rahul.

For such a good movie, this was one of the stranger ones I've seen in the theater. Just 4 people in the entire theater and half way though, the other couple left (I guess it was getting late for them).

Captain America - The First Avenger - Review

2011-07-24T16:16:00.002-06:00

Captain America - "It's what you expect from the movie. It's a lead up to the Avengers movie. But on it's own it's just a good action movie and nothing more."

This movie begins with a bunch of scientists finding the frozen red, white & blue shield under ice. (For the uninitiated, The Avengers are Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, Thor and many others. The premise of the Avengers is that the Captain was frozen for a number of years before he was found by the Avengers whom he joins to become of the Avengers). Now that we got done with bringing the Captain into current day Marvel myth, the movie can concentrate on telling his story.

Set in 1942 during WWII, the movie introduces "Hydra" the technological & supernatural arm of the Nazi war machine. The movie shows Hydra branch out and try and dominate the world on their own. Steve Rogers is a puny young guy who stands up from himself no matter what. He wants to enlist to fight for his country but has got every known condition known to man. After trying multiple times and being rejected, he gets an opportunity to become the first super soldier. A new breed. But as you will eventually realize, he's the only one who becomes a super soldier, before everything goes crazy. The movie also introduces Howard Stark, Iron Man's dad, who plays a major role in creating Captain America.

For superhero nuts like me, the movie was good fun (better than Thor atleast). This movie is 3 on 5.

But here's my ranking, for some of the superhero movies made in the Marvel Franchise thus far.

Only Marvel Superheros (Batman is miles ahead in the entire list)
1. X-Men First Class
2. The other X-Men movies
3. Spider-man
4. The Incredible Hulk (the second version with Edward Norton, not the first one)
5. Iron Man (part 2 was better than 1, and Robert Downey's version of the character is cool)
6. Captain America
7. Thor (having a tough time deciding the bottom two, they are both awful)
8. The Fantastic Four (they were watchable only for the special effects and nothing more)

Rahul.

Delhi Belly - Review

2011-07-02T23:10:00.000-06:00

Delhi Belly - "Laugh out loud funny. A crazy comedy, when they say S#!T HAPPENS.. they mean it. Throughly enjoyable... A must watch if you can handle the S#!T"

Aamir Khan productions. I've started getting my expectations up when I see a movie with this banner on it. It's a bit dangerous to get your hopes up on one production house. It's been putting out some really good movies. When I first saw the trailer for Delhi Belly a couple of months back, I was not very interested to watch it. It seemed too dumb. I really couldn't make out what it was about. And yesterday, all I saw was one sentence "Shit Happens & it's funny" I decided to go watch the movie. Damn it was good.

I've not seen a Bollywood English movie that's been this good for a long time. Imran Khan plays a journalist who lives with his roommates Vir Das a cartoonist and Kunaal Roy Kapur a photographer. The movie is Imran's best performance to date.

About two minutes after the movie starts, you hear everyone around you breakout into laughs and you don't really stop till Aamir's item number before the credits roll. It takes a lot of the stupid cliches in hindi movies and takes it over the top. I'd say if you are open to a movie with foul language and insanely funny laughs go watch Delhi Belly.

I'd give it 4.5 on 5.

Rahul.

X-Men : First Class - Review

2011-06-04T00:19:00.001-06:00

X-Men : First Class - "Slick, Fun, Definitely worth a watch. The best movie in the X-Men series by a mile"

Every movie, cartoon & comic with Professor Xavier & Magneto has always eluded a friendship. A long history between them, a fork in the the road where they went down different paths. What were they before they became the Professor and Magneto? Why did one turn against humanity & one decide to stand up for it?

After 4 movies from the franchise, there was a danger that this one would not really add much to it. The trailers did not leave me breathless to watch the movie. But nonetheless, I decided to watch it. And oh boy was it fun. It feels like a re-invention of sorts. Going back to where it all started. Charles Xavier, a boy who grows up in the lap of luxury, but has a secret & Erik Lensherr a polish boy in a Nazi concentration camps with a deadly power. The movie shows how their lives were molded by circumstance & choice.

The movie uses it's own artistic licence of course, it does not stick some of the known histories of the characters. It introduces Sebastian Shaw as the main antagonist, a man bent on.... Oh well you'll find out in the movie. I'm not going to spoil it. The movie shows some of the classic X-Men characters like Mystique, Dr. Henry McCoy & Emma Frost in much more detail.

The movie was really brilliant. Of course the special effects were good. It's a superhero flick after all. But it's aided by a terrific cast. James McAvoy portrays a young Xavier so well that you can actually imagine him growing into Patrick Stewart's character over time. And the same can be said for Michael Fassbender's Magneto. The scenes involving the two of them are fantastic, especially when they go out into the world to find their team using Cerebro.

You walk away from the movie with a smile on your face, when you see the last few scenes. For a fan who has seen all the movies. It feels like full circle. And for the uninitiated it makes you want to watch the next 3 movies on DVD.

I'll say a definite 4 on 5 for X-Men First Class. The name says it all.

Rahul.

Club Vs. Country & The Tour to the Caribbean - My Two Cents

2011-06-03T17:29:00.000-06:00

The World Champs on their First tour.

A stand in Captain and Five heroes of the dream run are missing.
Club versus Country is being shouted out from every website that cares about Cricket.

April 3rd 2011, just 2 months back I wrote one of my most emotional blogs about Indian Cricket. Pride oozed through my veins as Team India lifted the cup & brought joy to a nation.

But even before it could all sink in, the biggest T20 cricket league set in motion a cricket overdose. 90+ games played between 10 city teams. In the past anyone who enjoys cricket would have followed the IPL with a lot of passion. But this time around, fatigue set in. Even worse was the fact that a lot of the players were wearing different jerseys this time around, you lost touch with the teams. I guess another aspect of this is that I am writing about Indian cricket, sitting in another country. Away from the hungama & action back home. Am sure I'd be watching the matches in the evening if I was there, cheering the Super Kings to victory. Instead I was looking at the points table and hoping the Gayle force didn't knock the stuffing out of Chennai. (it was fun seeing him bowled for a duck)

But it was not that IPL caused the stir. It was players choosing to play the IPL instead of taking a break and coming back refreshed for the West Indies tour. Six big names, Dhoni, Tendulkar, Sehwag, Zaheer, Yuvraj & Ghambir had to sit out of the tour for different reasons. Injury & Fatigue.

Think back a few weeks before we realized that Ghambir and Yuvraj would not be playing either. Not everyone was upset at the entire team. Club vs. Country debates were not as heated. The tour was being looked at in a very different light. It was an opportunity for Ghambir to seal his spot as the next in line for captaincy. A chance for the world cup hero Yuvraj to make a permanent spot in the test side (something he has tried to do ever since Ganguly retired). But then they got injured while playing the IPL. That's when everyone posed their arguments on what mattered more. Club or Country?

Of course Country matters more. It matters more because of the pride involved. It matters more because of the affect it has on the team's ranking. It matters more because of the joy it provides an entire nation. And it matters because we don't think about all the money that's involved in the sport when someone represents the country. We don't think if they have alterer motives when they play for Team India. But when the same player comes out to bat for the Super Kings or the Knight Riders, we smell the money. But there's the problem. That's what the IPL is about. A chance for the players to make a lot of money, while providing us entertainment in the evening. If in the process a player gets injured or chooses to play a few league games after a long world cup campaign, we shouldn't grudge the players that much.

With the amount of cricket Team India plays, it's about time a Player Rotation policy was instituted. How long can we depend on 6 to 10 players. Yes a Core is needed. But it should be a core of 20 if not 30 players. Barring the opening slot, each of the players replacing players is matched player for player.

West Indies is a team like India in the '90s. You never know what will happen. When playing against a team such as them, it does not matter if the Top 6 are there or not. The youngsters can win on their own. Or lose to a blinding spell of cricket by the Windes. We need to give them a chance to prove their mettle. Maybe Kholi will be the man to fill the gap when Sachin or Dravid finally say adieu. Raina may shoulder more responsibility with captaincy and become a mainstay in the team. And the new comers will provide the bench strength for the future challenges in England and Australia.

Other Views:

An Interesting Article was by Harsha Bhogle on the similar subject. He has a point. It's the players decision not the boards.

Tom Alter on the other hand, had nothing good to say about all the players taking rest. I'm not sure I agree with anything he said.

At the end of the day, if we really want the best team on the field all the time, we need to have some gap between the tours, or build a bench that's the best at all times.

Rahul.

The Conspirator - Review

2011-05-29T18:16:00.001-06:00

The Conspirator - "A very delicately crafted movie about life at the end of the American civil war. A very educational, emotional and entertaining movie"

The movie tells the story of a young lawyer, Frederick Aiken who fought as a Captain for the Union on the civil war and was tasked with the job of defending a Southern woman, Mary Surratt, charged with conspiring to kill the President, Vice President, and Secretary of State.

The movie is not a fast paced thriller, but is like a slowly crafted story that takes you through the lives of the people who lived in that time. The chaos that the assassination caused and the aftermath is the center of the story. In a country that was literally split in half the movie goes on to show how clearly the lines were drawn between "us & them". It's this feeling that give the story so much of it's heart. Aiken, a northerner, a man who fought for the Union during the war, defending a Confederate woman accused of a heinous crime. As the movie goes through the first 30 minutes to an hour you see Aiken go from a man who shows contempt & disdain in defending a woman whom he feels is completely guilty to someone who is unsure of her innocence or guilt. He gets the feeling that she's being used as a scapegoat or as bait to catch her son John Surratt, who is known to have conspired with John Wilkes Booth and the rest in the assassination. The ambiguity of the characters, Mary Surratt, Anna Surratt & Frederick Aiken provide the story with a compelling story.

At the end of the movie, you want to know more about what happened 150 years ago. But the more you read about it, the more difficult it is to reach an opinion. That's not really the intent though. It's a well crafted movie & if you are a history buff (I am) then you should enjoy the movie.

A few stunning performances give this movie a rating of 3 on 5.

Rahul.

Pirates of the Caribbean - On Stranger Tides - Review

2011-05-21T17:53:00.000-06:00

Pirates of the Caribbean on Stranger tides - Glad I decided to watch it. Unlike what most reviews say, is actually a lot of fun.

When you decide to go watch a movie with Captain Jack Sparrow what are you expecting to see? A deep thrilling adventure with a convoluted story and swashbuckling adventures. Not really. You are going to watch the movie because you expect a bunch of crazy laughs with swashbuckling adventures & a funny story thrown in for good measure. And that's exactly what you get this time around as well.

If you are honest with yourself. The first time you saw The Curse of the Black Pearl, it was something new and you really loved it. And that made you go see The Dead man's chest. Whether or not you liked the second movie you really did not have an option. It left the story hanging and made you go back for At the World's End. To credit to the series they finished it off well. Jack where he started, on his own looking for his next loot, Turner becomes the captain of the Flying Dutchman & Barbossa is the captain of the Black Pearl.

So did we really need another one in the series? Especially considering most of the main characters were gone. One got the feeling that they were trying to milk one more out of the cash cow. It would be a movie that should not have happened. One that gave a forgettable end to the franchise.

Not if the writers of the latest movie have anything to say about it. The series is still awesome. Jack Sparrow is still really funny & you still love to hate Barbossa. So what if Turner, Elizabeth Swan and the rest of the English Navy is gone. Bring on Black-beard, Angelica & the mermaids.

So they are after the Fountain of Youth this time. Go join them in the adventure. I am quite sure you will enjoy it if you liked any of the last 3 movies. It's a bunch of stupid laughs but that's what we watch this movies for anyway.

It's a 4 on 5.

Rahul.

PS.: So that means, at least according to me, it's another one that RT got wrong. Come on this movie deserves a lot more than 34%. But the audience rating on this movie is about right

Movie Reviews - Can you really trust them?

2011-05-20T18:50:00.001-06:00

Talking about Movie Reviews on a Blog that has become mostly a review portal is kind of ridiculous, especially considering my take on a movie may not be the same as the rest of the planet. But what the heck, let's give this a shot.

There was also the time when I used to purposely stay away from reviews of movies I wanted to watch, for fear that it would sway my opinion one way or the other. What did that do? Make me waste a lot of time at movies that were painful to get through.

Up until a year ago, I used to go completely by the reviews of a certain few movie critics & Rotten tomatoes. But as I've started to watch more movies, my tastes seem to have evolved & I find myself unable to trust any of the reviews, Good or Bad.

I'll agree that more often than not when a movie is really bad, the tomato-meter is not way off. And for that matter when a movie is actually really good, like "The King's Speech" or "Inception" there are very few people who get it wrong. But it's the movies that fall between the 3.5 to 4.5 star categories that are the problem.

So here I am, disappointed with the reviews that I've trusted off late, too-good to be true, or really off the mark on a fantastic movie.

When I decide to watch a Hollywood movie, I don't shop around for reviews, I go straight to Rotten Tomatoes. Why? Well, it's the way they get their ratings. It's a average of what all the critics think of a movie. When you put a whole bunch of opinions into a hat you should get a reasonable estimation of the movie right? Wrong!

When I realized that the best example of this I guess is the last 2 movies I saw, Source Code and Thor had really good ratings on RT. 86% and 78% at the time when I saw the movie. Those are really good ratings for movies. You would go in expecting the movie to expecting something really cool. Both the movies were average at best (keep in mind movies like The King's Speech, The Fighter & Inception have ratings in the 90 to 95% range).

And then there's the other side of the story, going by the review of one single person. At one point in time, I liked Rajeev Masand's reviews they seemed to match mine and I skipped a lot of bad movies thanks to him. But then over time I guess tastes changed & I find that his reviews don't really match mine in any way (of course other than the really bad ones). This situation is way worse than RT. Going by one person's opinion of a movie (esp. when you are not sure if your taste in movies is the same) is not the best way to do it.

Did I just say that? You can't trust one person's opinion of a movie? Damn, am alienating my target audience.
Oh Well, not like I had a huge target audience anyway. If you do decide to come back & you find that you can trust my reviews, there are new movies coming out every week. You should see something or the other new on this blog.

In the meantime, I continue to look for a Movie Critic with my tastes. One that can give me a "Useful" opinion on new movies.

Rahul.

THOR - 3D - Review

2011-05-14T11:01:00.002-06:00

THOR 3D - "Blah!! Not like I was expecting a story anyway. Good Special effects, a fun way to spend an hour and half."

First off - if you want to watch the movie. Don't watch it in 3D. There's hardly any 3D scenes to talk about. A couple of weeks ago, when I saw the trailers, I had made up my mind to watch it on DVD. But then the tomato-meter was at 78% for 2 weeks. That's quite good for a super-hero movie. And then a couple of long weeks at work. THOR seemed like a pretty good way to relax. But my first instinct was correct.

I'll give MARVEL this much. They are trying to build up to the Avengers movies with all their stories. And if you are a super hero geek like me, that may be one of the only reasons to watch the movie. But really, is he really a super hero? He's a Norse God. Not a super hero.

The action sequences are quite cool. But some of the scenes with Natalie Portman could have been cut and replaced with a few more action sequences.

Conceptually, the idea of 9 realms and a worm hold bridge connecting them is cool. Stargate like concept. Any hey, if someone has seen SG-1, you are going to think of the small grey alien when you think of THOR or the Asgard.

What's next for the Avengers franchise? Captain America. There was a trailer at the movie yesterday. It looks like one I'd actually want to watch. Here's hoping it's better than THOR - God of Thunder.

My Rating: 3 on 5 (hey and that's being generous - just because I'm a sci-fi geek.)

Rahul..

Source Code - Review

2011-04-03T19:23:00.001-06:00

SOURCE CODE - "Blah!" 8 minutes over and over again. Don't bother, just wait and watch it on DVD if you really want to see it.

86% on Rotten Tomatoes really threw me off. Normally that means are really entertaining movie. Given that it was a thriller, I was expecting a cliffhanger. Instead what I saw was a really run of the mill movie with a terrible ending.

It's about a guy that wakes up on a train in another man's body and is really confused what's going on. After 8 minutes, there is an explosion on the train killing everybody. The guy (Capt.Colter Stevens - Jake Gyllenhall) wakes up to find that he's in some closed room and was in the mind of a dead man trying to find the bomber on the train. He's sent back so many times (I lost count) to find the bomber. The movie has a good flow and keeps you watching but that's until they tell you what's actually going on.

On the whole the movie is not one I would recommend. I'll say 2.5/5.

Rahul.

An Emotion that's difficult to express - Ecstatic

2011-04-03T19:07:00.002-06:00

2011 ICC Cricket World Champions - Team India - happiness beyond measure.

A couple of days ago I blogged about The Last Hurdle. As a fan I really wanted India to win, but I was nervous that Sri Lanka would be a banana peel that would cause India to slip up.

But never the less, I was up at 3.30 in the morning to cheer the team on from Ball 1. It was amazing to see the team contain the Sri Lankan batsman until the batting power play, but at the end of it when the score read 275, I felt really nervous about the team's chances & when we lost a couple of early wickets it felt like 2003 all over again. But then, slowly but surely Ghambir and Kholi consolidated the innings and brought back hope. It was such a thrilling match. I couldn't even take my eyes of the screen. When Dhoni walked in at the fall of Kholi's wicket, to keep the momentum & the left-right partnership going, I thought for the first time that we may be on our way to the cup. But every time a commentator said something good, or bad I was looking for wood to touch, nails to bite. So many miles away I could feel the tension. I felt like I was there, every time Chak De or Vande Mataram played it boosted the tension and you felt for Dhoni, Ghambir and Yuvraj.What must they have been feeling? The weight of a billion hearts on heir shoulders. As we inched ahead, the thoughts of an Indian win started surfacing, but tried not to think those thoughts for fear that it would jinx the team.

But when Dhoni hit the last ball for a mighty six, I let out a load roar, felt such happiness, exuberance and delight. Pure Happiness, "We are the champions". A few tears rolled down my cheeks. Tears of Joy. Team India did it.

All these days, I've seen friend after friend put up status messages on Facebook during the match. Almost running commentary of what was happening on the ground. I found it funny, to comment about a cricket match on Facebook. But then it happened. A few minutes after that Six, there I was, putting up a congratulatory message of my own, liking status messages of the Indian win, trying to be a part of something great.

After the match, as the scenes of celebration were unfolding, you could see tears in the eyes of so many. The players, the support staff and even the fans. It was so clear how much this series meant to all of us. We are champions in 2011. All credit to Kapil and the 1983 team. But this victory is for the current generation. It resets the clock from 28 to 0. Here's hoping it stays at 0 for a long long time to come. :)

All I can say is... Thank You Team India, you brought so much of happiness to so many. Congratulations you deserve all the accolades you will receive.

"A Fan Following" - Rahul

The best photo of the victory is this one... Sudhir Gautam, the biggest Indian fan that you see at every match, with the flag painted from head to tummy got a chance to hold the cup. Very nice gesture by Sachin.

And India broke the jinx as I hoped... "An Host Team Won World Cup".

Bleeding Blue more than ever before..

2011-03-31T16:37:00.003-06:00

2011 ICC Cricket World Cup - One Final Hurdle

The hopes of an entire nation on the shoulders of 11 men (not to mention the support staff). I've not felt more passionate about the Indian team in a long time, it's a wonderful time to watch cricket. This is just a fan's perspective on the road to Saturday.

Leading up to the World Cup, Team India was playing really well, they handed New Zealand a white wash, took South Africa to really close in an away series and raised the hopes of many. Which is why seeing India scratch around to beat the minnows was sad, they have not been the most convincing world beaters, but here they are. One step away, from making people stop talking about something that happened 28 years ago. The team is at a stage they were at 8 years ago when Saurav Ganguly brought India to the doorstep of the World Cup, but the final was too big a hurdle for Team India to cross, despite all the improvements in the tournament, the Aussies were just too good. But now, this time around there were no world beaters around. There are a bunch of teams that really really closely matched. It makes for some amazing cricket to watch.

Watching the group matches with England or South Africa, was meant to be the appetizer for the fans and the tough tests for the team before the main event of the knockouts started. The matches went back and forth & watching the team skittle away good positions to tie one match and lose the other was heartbreaking. But it brought back the hunger to watch the team play, watch the team succeed. I've always been an ardent follower of the game, but over the last couple of years, I've not spent late nights in front of a TV watching a cricket match.But this world cup has made me wake up at the crack of dawn to see my favorite team battle it out for the glory.

The road to the quarter-finals was paved for India, despite a mediocre performance against some of the teams in their group they still came out second, with the only team to beat them a cut above. That's when this World cup changed though. An India - Australia quarter final. A match against the world number one team. The team that denied them glory in 2003. India outplayed them in Ahmadabad, another all round performance by India's left arm spinner and finisher Yuvraj. I could not watch that match live. But I think I watched the highlights 2 or 3 times. It was fun to see them lose to India. The rivalry has been so tense with Australia over the past decade & it has produced some epics. The end of an Era. After 1999, for the first time, the world cup will leave Australia.

But even that match seems so insignificant now, in comparison with the one that followed. India vs. Pakistan. The second semi-final, a chance to meet their sub-continental neighbor in a match for all the marbles. The match took on some epic proportions, with anyone who had anything to do with either country saying something or the other. The premiers of both nations used the match as an opportunity to try and mend broken roads, and many of us thought of the "what if" questions again. One country, one team. Imagine the possibilities.

The world descended on Mohali, all eyes were on their favorite teams. The world remembered the significance of an India-Pakistan match. All Indians will say one thing, when it comes to the world cup & India-Pakistan matches, India is undefeated. Everyone in India was hoping that record remains untarnished. But at the same time everyone knows that Pakistan on their day can be the best in the world. This world cup had seen some of their best performances and seen them beat all comers (except of course for a piece of brilliance from Ross Taylor, that handed them their only defeat in the tournament till that point). The alarm went off at 4AM, and we were there, in front of the laptop with the match on it's way. What a match it was. Despite having a lot of packing & moving to do, we were transfixed. It was India-Pakistan. It was a world cup semi-final, it was India's best chance to go for gold (and that too at home). After a see-saw battle with during India's innings, the team battled their way back into the match with really good bowling spells from their second line quicks & an ever improving Yuvraj. And towards the end even though it was quite certain that India would pull it off an make it to the World Cup final in Mumbai, the tension was still in the air, you found your self unable to move till the last ball was bowled & you saw Kholi throw the ball in the air and signal India's victory.

With that win, a lot of cliches stayed true. South Africa continued to Choke at crucial moments, New Zealand reached the semis and lost & India beat Pakistan.

As team India travel to Mumbai for the Final, to face Sri Lanka, a team who have been incredibly dominant in this tournament (their only loss coming at the hands of Pakistan), all eyes will be on Wankhede, to see if India can pull off a victory and break one cliche that's been certainty since 1975. No Home team has ever won the world cup. It does not help that the team that they are facing was the one that won the last sub continental world cup, or the team that one the last world cup before Australia began their dominance or most importantly the finalists of the last world cup. Team India will need to play well to win & I sure hope they do. All the best Team India

"A Fan Following" - Rahul.

A few useless facts:
1. The last 3 surviving teams in the tournament are also incidently the finalists of the last 3 world cups.
2. The finalists of the last 2 world cups are now the finalists of this world cup.
(for anyone that's been under a rock for the past 15 years, the team in all of the earlier finals was Australia)
3. The only teams to have knocked out Australia since 1996 in a world cup are the 2011 finalists, India & Sri Lanka.

PAUL - Review

2011-03-20T19:18:00.000-06:00

PAUL - "Good for a few dumb laughs... Fun way to send a couple of hours if you have nothing better to do.."

PAUL was just what I expected it to be. I wanted to go today and watch a movie just for the dumb laughs, not some serious story with amazing acting or awesome action movie.

The movie started off slow with the 2 British nerds (sci-fi geeks) at COMIC-CON looking to experience the science fiction landmarks of the US. But the moment Paul enters the scene, the movie picks up steam. The graphics on Paul's character really rocks. He has the standard Martian look but looks really realistic and eyes have some tremendous depth. Seth Rogan's voice acting really carries the character and makes him really funny.

You get a few laughs every 5 to 10 minutes or so when something ridiculous happens.Hey, it was fun. If you are bored, go watch it. Not a classic so 3 on 5

Rahul..

The King's Speech - Review

2011-03-06T22:44:00.000-06:00

The King's Speech - STUPENDOUS! A wonderfully crafted movie which captivates you throughout. (no wonder it won so many Oscars)

The King's Speech is such a simple story, but the way it's told leaves you filled with all the compassion, admiration and respect for King George VI.

The Duke of York, the son of the then King George V, had a severe speech impediment that caused him to stutter in any public conversation. Multiple attempts with various doctors did no good to him, until his wife found a common man, Lionel Logue with a reputation for unconventional methods to treat his patients. You also see the shackles that royalty puts on the family, the constraints of role, the detachment from the common man and you see how different the two worlds really are. But, at the end of the day it's about the relationship between two men, the Duke of York and Lionel Logue his speech therapist.

The movie takes a good 15 minutes or so to sink it's teeth into you. It does not let go after that. You are riveted. I guess it's the scene during their first encounter, when he makes the Duke read a passage from Shakespeare that you realize this is going to be good. Over the course of the story you see the friendship between the soon to be King and this common man develop and the King fight to overcome his impediment to a great extent.

It's a fantastic movie, Colin Firth & Geoffrey Rush. Hat's Off.
I'll say 4.5/5. Please watch it - you are guaranteed to enjoy it.

Rahul.

No One Killed Jessica - Review

2011-03-06T16:52:00.000-06:00

No One Killed Jessica - A movie that deserves a watch because of the subject matter. Not the over the top acting.

The Jessica Lal murder case was one of the biggest stories in the Indian media in 2006, because of the unjust verdict that was delivered the first time around. The story shows the fights that the family, her sister Sabrina in particular had to endure to secure justice for Jessica. The media reports that followed the initial verdict went on to show the miscarriages of justice, the changes to the truth. It showed the common Indian try and get her justice. The media took it upon themselves to get the case re-opened. It's a sad story, which showed India at it's worst and best.

The story deserved to be immortalized in a movie so that the story would be told through the years. Maybe it would shake a few consciences (?). But I really don't think the movie needed to be so, "Bollywood". The story was there and the way Jessica's story and eventual death & Sabrina's fight was portrayed in the first half was very tasteful, touching and made you feel for the family. Especially because you knew what was coming (every Indian knows the story). But in the second half, the media character portrayed by Rani Mukerji stands out as very "filmi", it takes the seriousness out the story and takes away a bit from the story. They told the story with all honesty, but if not for the fluff, it would have been a wonderful homage to Jessica and a salute to her sister and the Indian media in general.

Watch the movie. It'll touch you despite the tamasha that it has thrown in.
It's 3/5 for this one...

Rahul

dhobi ghat (mumbai diaries) - Review

2011-01-22T11:36:00.000-06:00

dhobi ghat (mumbai diaries) - four people living in a big city, different perspectives, their lives intertwined by strange coincidences.

dhobi ghat is a movie that signifies the new types of movies that have become the staple of aamir khan's production house. You can always go for one of his movies confident that you will not leave bored or frustrated.

With this movie though, I had my doubts, it was his wife's production, they billed the movie as, "not for everyone". But I felt the movie was really worth a watch, if for nothing else but the sheer honest acting by all 4 main characters.

The four characters in the story are so completely different, that they bring completely different perspectives to the story.

Prateik Babbar, plays Munna a dhobi and rat killer in Mumbai's slums. A boy who came to Mumbai from Bihar because he was starving. His introduction begins with him telling his brother that, even though being a rat killer is disgusting, it's at least an honest days work. But he has dreams as well, he wants to be an actor he wants a better life.

Monica Dogra plays Shai, an investment banker in the US who goes to India on a sabbatical looking for inspiration and a change of scene. She brings into the story a kind of naivety that she has developed with her many years outside of the country.

But the best performance in the story is from Kriti Malhotra who plays Yasmin, a young bride who has come to the city immediately after he marriage. She has a video camera with which she is writing a video letter for her younger brother back in the village and her entire story is told from behind the lens.

And then there is Arun (played by Aamir Khan), the artist who looks all around Mumbai for his inspiration. He calls the city his muse, his whore and his love. His character serves as the bridge between the other three as the story is told.

The movie starts off slow and never really gets much faster, but then it's just the story of 4 people, I guess it's not meant to be fast. You see how different each of their lives is, while despite a number of people around them how lonely they actually are.

I would say the movie by itself is a work of art and not for everyone. I liked the movie. Go ahead and try it for yourself. I would rate the movie a 3.25 on 5. But I wont be surprised if you either love or hate it.

Rahul.

Where's has my Cricket gone?

2011-01-11T17:27:00.002-06:00

IPL - A runaway train - a wreck waiting to happen (Players Won, Fans and Cricket Lost)

The first season of the IPL was wonderful, with new teams being formed, a concept developed and icon players in each of their teams. It was a gala of cricket with some of the best names thrown in for a bit of fun. T20 cricket was just evolving, people were already calling ODIs dead and test matches was the premium product that was served in small doses. It was a great event with really high quality cricket and all the teams played brilliantly.

Despite the tournament moving to South Africa for a year and then coming back to India a year later, all 3 seasons of IPL provided wonderful entertainment and action for all involved. The amounts of money involved was ludicrous for 6 weeks of cricket, but India is the money spinner of cricket, and more money for everyone can't be a bad thing right? Maybe it can. Over the last 3 years, for a lot of the cricketers the importance of international cricket has gone down. They have started calling themselves Professional freelancers (Flintoff, Symonds). Folks are retiring prematurely to play jut T20 cricket, all sort of stuff happened with the cricketing world. No other cricket league has since formed, which has the scale this one does.

But early retirement and professional freelancers not withstanding, the rest of the world still thought of international cricket as the holy grail. No one is quite sure anymore what the priority for Indian cricketers is. There was a time when cricketers were dropped from the national team and they slogged and slogged in domestic cricket to make their way back. Even Saurav Ganguly had to fight his way back to international cricket before the IPL. But now, cricketers who have been pushed aside by the selectors still have a flood gate to fill their pockets, the glorious IPL.

This year has been nothing but scandal after scandal for the IPL. To be quite honest I didn't understand all the nitty-gritties and legalies of why RCB and KPXI were removed by the BCCI. Purely from a fan's standpoint, all I could care about was that I would have 2 less teams in the IPL to watch. Two teams that I had enjoyed watching. RCB for the way Shane Warne had groomed the youngsters who were playing with him into good players, who eventually represented India and KPXI, just because I liked watching them lose. Don't know why, but I didn't really like the team. Months of speculation and at the end of the day they were cleared and IPL was all set to have 10 teams. That's a good number, the season should be fun.

But then this auction came along and left a very bad taste. Why does the league need an auction every 3 years.Why can't it be like 10 companies operating for the best cricketing talent in the world. the spending cap makes sense to level the playing field, but if you have 16 players in your squad today, shouldn't you get the first right of refusal for each of them. Shouldn't players get to choose who they play for? So tomorrow if Delhi wanted to buy Dhoni for $2 Million, shouldn't the three parties hash it out like a company and trade for players? New players show up on the scene, set a salary cap for them until they have played for their countries for a year or two (or set a number of games as the criteria), at the end of the day these are companies, they are not going to throw a huge chunk of money at every player that comes along. But these player retention, open auction, uncapped player rules along with the amounts of money shelled out for the Indian cricketers makes the head spin.

Do you think Irfan Pathan would have any more incentive to try and get back into the national setup with a paycheck that reads $1.9 Million. He was a brilliant fast bowler, a good all rounder until he fell out the form and the national team. I really think he could have a second burst like Zaheer and become one of India's better players. But would he still have the incentive to do that?

Then there's also the simple fact about how you build team loyalty. Come on, if the entire structure of the team changes every 3 years, how can you really keep following that team. Think about it this way, you come together as a team today, build strategies and skills together. Now as long as your core stays you can grow, but changing the entire team means re-building from scratch. If one or two guys move to a different team, that may give you some money to go get some new talent and will create an interesting situation when you have that one player in the opposition you knows your tricks. But putting them all back in different places causes chaos. That's why I think the Chennai team is best placed with the number of players they have retained and retrieved, the core has remained, I would always support my home team, but I feel for the internationals who follow the IPL, they may had some favorite cricketers, Gilchrist & Symonds maybe and would have built and affinity towards the Deccan chargers. But now one's the captain of Punjab while the other is in Mumbai. It devalues the franchises.

And then people keep asking the question if future players will now aspire for the Indian team or an IPL team. IPL is a distraction for the fan, international cricket at the end of the day is the real deal. Do you think if the Indian team starts doing badly in international cricket, people will still like the IPL. People would start looking at the price tags more cynically and would start criticizing the salaries.

So now I ask the question. Where has cricket gone in all this mess?
I say, let's forget the IPL for a while. Look forward to the World Cup, the real cricket.
This entertainment extravaganza will come and go.. Hopefully some better Tests and ODIs will follow so that we forget this ever happened, until the auction comes around 3 years from now. (or maybe by IPL 7 people will learn and things will change. Hey, we can always hope!)

Rahul.

The Fighter - Review

2010-12-31T10:45:00.004-06:00

The Fighter - A gritty real life drama,with compelling characters, drugs and boxing. Worth a watch.

The fighter starts off with Christian Bale (Dicky Eklund) in front of a camera talking about what a great boxer he was, the then introduces his kid brother Mickey Ward (played by Mark Wahlberg) who is an up and coming boxer in the small industrial town of Lowell Massachusetts. He talks about how he was a quick boxer who liked to stay out of the way, but his brother liked to get into it and throw some punches. He has taught his little brother every thing he knows.

Right at the get go you look and Christian Bale and realize that he has done it again, he has transformed himself into the character (for those of you who have not seen these transformations, you can see his best work in The Machinist or The Prestige, which are by the way two of my favorite movies). He plays this lanky, but way past his prime boxer (the pride of Lowell), who's being followed around by cameras, on his road to a comeback. But 10 to 15 minute into the story you realize that he's nowhere close to comeback, he's a pothead with one big moment. All this time his brother, Mickey Ward is in his shadow, a boxer with a lot of talent, eying something better. Mickey is trained and managed by his family (his brother and mother).

In Mickey you see this man, who is not young in years but still has that idealistic look in his eyes. A man who is hoping for the big time. Mark Wahlberg plays him with a great sincerity that makes you really feel for the character.

The entire cast of the movie does a brilliant job to take you in an not let go. They tell you a very important story with an amazing grace.

Spoiler Alert:
The story starts of slow with the introduction of all the characters as they set the scenes. They show Dicky and his mother Alice, as they try and get Mickey back on his feet after a string of defeats. As you are watching the scenes unfold in the movie you realize that there's a lot more going on here. The family is a mess and they are dragging down this potential talent with them.

The mother (Alice Ward) and the sisters are trying to ride a gravy train that has long been dry. They are trying to hold back Mickey from what he can really do. All they can see and aspire to is what Dicky was, what he could have been. They don't see what has happened to him, and what they are doing to Mickey either.The turning point in the story comes when Mickey decides he needs to do what's best for him after another big skirmish in which his brother is arrested and he starts doing what's best for him.

At the same time you see Dicky in prison as he slowly comes out of this addiction deal with what the documentary was really about, Drugs and Lives lost, not about some big comeback. He comes out of prison a changed man, a clean man who helps his brother to his biggest victory.

A wonderful movie. Brilliant acting. Definitely worth a watch. All in all 4 on 5

Rahul.

Guzaarish - Review

2010-12-18T16:33:00.003-06:00

Click the image for the trailer

Guzaarish - A well made movie, but not something that everyone may like.

It's along the lines of most Sanjay Leela Bhansali movies. It's full of artistic expression and tries to convey a strong message. The movie tells the story of Ethan Masceranas a quadriplegic who appeals to the court to permit him to take his life.

Hrithik Roshan plays the role of this once great magician with a wonderful grace. Today, despite being unable to care for himself, he brings hope to a lot of people through his radio program. So when he appeals for the court to take his life, it leaves most of his friends and family devastated.

The cast is supported by strong performances throughout, Aishwariya Rai plays Sophia D'souza, his nurse for the past 12 years who takes care of every aspect of his life right from brushing his teeth to changing his clothes.

There's a deep connection between Sophia and Ethan which is shown very subtly in the movie. But that's not the main topic and it's good that they don't focus on it. They show us how he struggles through his day to day life. The best scene is when his roof starts leaking and there's nothing that he can do but watch the water drip on his head. A couple of scenes in the movie, especially Sophia dancing in a restaurant could have been avoided. It does not add anything to the story and makes you wonder what the point of it is. All in all, It's a good movie to watch. I'd say 3/5.

The movie tries to address the serious topic of euthanasia with a very delicate hand, showing why someone may actually want to do something so extreme. When I first heard him say, "I want to ask the court for permission to take my life" I thought to myself that it was wrong. I felt that if it were allowed, people would misuse it. But by the end of the movie, I found myself thinking that there was good reason to allow people who cannot help themselves, people who are in unbelievable pain an opportunity to end their lives. I guess I just wont comment on the topic anymore. It's a personal choice.

Rahul

Battlestar Galactica (RDM) - Review

2010-12-15T16:46:00.000-06:00

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (BSG)

This science fiction series that aired from 2003 to 2009 is one of the best space epics that I've seen. Being a huge fan of every Star Trek series out there, I think I now have my all time favorite split. The only series that comes close to BSG is Star Trek: Deep Space 9. Baring a very few episodes the entire series continues the story arc from the first to the last episode. The premise, the concept and actors all add to the character of the series and bring it to life.

Spoiler Warning:
Before I start talking about BSG. Let me say one thing. If you've not seen the series. Don't read the entire review. Every line you read may have a spoiler for you. If you like science fiction (or even a good action series) watch BSG when you find the time. The series is not as long as most (it's just 4 seasons). But at the end of it - it leaves you feeling extremely satisfied, thinking about the concept and in awe at the quality of the story.

Let's get into it....

The Universe of Battlestar Galactica derives a lot of it's concepts from Greek mythos, the zodiac and concepts that say man came to Earth from the beyond. They talk about a race of humans that live on the 12 Colonies of Kobol, which are 12 planets that mirror our 12 signs of the Zodiac.Humanity once lived with the Gods (Apollo, Aphrodite, Aries, Zeus and the rest) on the planet known as Kobol. Many thousands of years ago, 12 tribes left Kobol and settled on these 12 planets to begin life anew.

As humanity evolved they developed artificial intelligence to improve life on the twelve colonies.
These creations were known as Cylons (Cybernetic Life FOrm Nodes)
The opening line of the mini-series (pilot) described it the best.

The Cylons were created by Man.

They were created to make life easier on the Twelve Colonies.

And then the day came when the Cylons decided to kill their masters.

After a long and bloody struggle, an armistice was declared.

The Cylons left for another world to call their own.

A remote space station was built...

Where Cylon and human could meet and maintain diplomatic relations.

Every year, the Colonials send an officer...

The Cylons send no one.

No-one has seen or heard from the Cylons in over forty years...

The mini-series begins at this point - 40 Years Later. (Spoilers Begin)

The Cylons return to destroy their masters - they believe that Humanity is a flawed creation and orchestrate a holocaust of the 12 colonies. At the end of this all that is survives is a rag-tag group of soldiers aboard an aging Battlestar (that was about to be decommissioned and converted to a museum) Galactica. They also find many civilian ships that survived the attack and together they are all that's left of humanity. 50 thousand souls.
These ships become what remains of the Colonial civilization and they are in search of a mystical planet known as Earth. The Twelve Colonies believe that there was once a 13th tribe on Kobol, that left their brothers behind and went on to look for a new world to live on, Earth. This fleet in retreat, continually pursued by the rampaging Cylons trying to take them out is on this journey to find their lost brothers of Kobol and a new Home.

When the colonials fought the Cylons during the first war they looked like our typical representation of a Robot - Huge metal creatures. Only that they were robotic and biological components. Over the last 40 years, they have evolved - they now look and feel human.

This adds a sense of mystery to the series as the colonials meet each of the Cylon models.

But at the end of the day, in addition to the story, the concept and the visual treat that the series provides. What stands out is the wonderfully depicted characters.

The stars of the show are Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell, they play Commander William Adama and President Laura Roslin, the two heads of the fleet of survivors. They are by no means perfect leaders, but are instead two people who inherited the position because there was no one else left above them.

Neither of them put in the best acing performances, but then they portray flawed characters, so I guess it's apt that the acting was flawed as well. The series is brilliantly supported by a wonderful cast, some of whom you like from the get go and some that you learn to love.

- spoiler alert 2 - stop now -

The first two seasons show the conflicts within BSG and the fight for survival against the Cylons. You see the story arc evolve as Laura Roslin becomes a prophet and starts having visions of Earth. She believes that she can find Earth, find salvation for her people. She believes that she is The Dying leading in the prophecies. They find Kobol, they find the humans left behind on Caprica. The show brings the entire cast together by the end of the second season as they settle on a new Caprica to begin a new life.

The third season takes the show further by setting it one year after they settle on new Caprica and shows their struggle for survival. The 3rd season starts concentrating more on the Cylons as well, exploring their lives and beliefs in the one true God. It shows in a subtle way the differences between all our religions, the differences in our ways of life.

But the turning point in the show was when they decided to make sense out of an over used line "This has happened before. This will happen again." This one sentence gives all the meaning to the BSG series. The 13th tribe were humanoid Cylons. They lived in harmony with humanity on Kobol until their beliefs caused them to go out in search for a new world. They found Earth settled, grew and eventually forgot they were machines. They developed their own Cylons. There was another war that destroyed their world. It's at this point in the show that all the strange overtones in the series, like calling a human-cylon child the future of things to come start making sense. Both humanity and cylon on their own are flawed. Perhaps they can survive as one.

God(s) eventually leads the fleet by chance to pre-historic planet where humanity has evolved. They are hunters, gatherers. They have not even developed speech yet. With no where else to go Humanity and cylon settles on this planet and integrates into their lives, returning to their roots. (a fresh start). Of course this planet is what we know as Earth.

But the best scene in the entire series is the last one. Earth - 150,000 years later. Today in our terms. Two angels walk through New York city. They reminisce Caprica city before the fall and question if it will happen again. As they walk out of frame, they show all our robotic advancements till date. It's a thought.

A brilliant series. Nothing that I've seen (except DS9) comes close. 5/5.

The movie that followed - The Plan - don't watch it. The movie tries to explain the Cylon Plan - the first two seasons. It does not add to the story (3/5). Let the last scene be the last of this BSG series that you watch.

Rahul.

the social network - Review

2010-10-09T07:52:00.000-06:00

the social network - Review

How did Facebook become the phenomenon that it is? How did Mark Zuckerberg create this sensation at 20 years old? I don't know one person who uses Facebook who will not want to watch this movie.

Accept it or not, facebook is a huge part of our lives. But back in 2003 did you think that you would abandon most of the other social networking sites like MySpace, Orkut and whatever else was out there. Only in 2007 I blogged about how Orkut was helping me stay in touch with my friends. I guess Facebook at the time was still just growing and it had not become the phenomenon that it is now. I don't even think Zuckerberg can define Facebook. In the movie he says, "We don't know what it is yet. All we know is that it's cool!" Yeah, I agree it's cool. It's a polished and clean website that is totally customized to you and in the process making everyone at Facebook a billionaire.

Well, Billionaires yes, not every one got their fair share. The movie is plays like a carefully scripted documentary with all the glitz and hoopla of a Hollywood blockbuster thrown in. When the movie starts of in a bar, with Zuckerburg blabbering on and on and on to some girl at a break neck speed, you wonder. What the heck is this? But the moment she storms out of the bar after calling in an a****le. You realize what made the facebook. How the ideas came to be. Facebook is the creation of a genius mind of a teen who just got dumped. And he did it why? To get back at her of course. His best friend, Eduardo Saverin provides him the key ingredient, an algorithm to create a website that can rate girls. facemash.com. These 2 co-founders of the best social networking site on the planet, started crafting the idea over beers and thousands of lines of code. The beauty of the movie is it shows you the evolution of an idea. A small spark that led to another and another and ultimately Facebook.

I learned a lot of things yesterday. For the longest time I didn't even care who created facebook. Until I learned that Mark, was the youngest Billionaire on the planet. He's as old as me & he made facebook. Wow!

The movie does justice to all parties in the film. It shows you that facebook was not an idea that came from one guy. It was the culmination of the best from all the facebook pages in Harvard, the social networking capabilities of MySpace and Friendster and some simple day to day aspects of college life. The movie is a must watch. Hats off to the beautifully crafted story. It never gives you a chance to get bored, without evergoing too fast.

My Rating: 4 on 5.

Rahul.

PEEPLI [Live] - Review

2010-08-15T20:48:00.001-06:00

PEEPLI [Live] - Thought provoking, Hard hitting, not far from the truth...

Despite knowing the basis of the story, PEEPLI [Live] took me off guard. I knew that it was about a very serious subject (farmer suicides), but trailers made it seem like the movie was a satirical take on the matter & how the entire country hops on the band wagon right at election time.a strong message delivered with a light spirit. I must say that message was sent home strong and hard. Although there is the odd laugh during the movie, it's not a hearty laugh. It's more of a strained laugh that eases the tension of the movie.

This movie is about Natha(Omkar Das) & Budhia(Raghuvir Yadav) , two brothers, farmers in a small village called "Peepli". They are on the verge of loosing their land to the bank because of loans they cannot repay. They are told that they only way they can get any money now (you find out how.. when you watch the movie) is by committing suicide. The government will pay a lakh of rupees to the farmers family. Both of them discuss this and decide that Natha would be the one to sacrifice himself for the family. In a drunken stupor they discuss this with others in the village when a reporter hears them and breaks the story. This results in a hurricane of events with every conceivable news channel and politician descending on this little village with their own agendas. Although there may be a few exaggerations in the behavior of some of the journalists it's not by much. One trying to top the other, in a bid to get the next sound byte or breaking story. These poor men stuck in the middle, the entire country watching asking the question, "Will Natha commit suicide?"

This is a movie, but I find myself very unsure of how to review it. From start to finish, you see the things that touch you, make you feel for these people. You also feel that this film has portrayed India in a true light. There are extremes in the country, between the rich and the poor. The politicians who care about the next elections, the journalists who just want the next scoop & the poor farmer who wonders how he will provide for his family. None of you who are reading this blog can say any different. We have a lot to be thankful for, we are but one side of the coin, lest we forget the other. I don't know if I'm just full of words of if I will ever be able to do anything to help. I'll be honest about that. But these are the facts that we live with.

Some of the characters in the movie are so beautifully portrayed, especially Natha's wife, Dhaniya(Shalini Vatsa) who shows her love, frustration & desperation to support her family & his mother(Farrukh Jaffar) who through her constant taunting, shows both her pain and provides the occasional comic relief. The other performance of note is of the journalist who broke the story, Rakesh(Nowaz) who goes through the movie understanding the plight of the farmers and the ruthlessness of the world around him.

Watch the movie, because it's beautifully made. I know it's a sad story and you might come out pondering but it might be worth it.

Ok.. I'll say just because the movie could have been cut short here and there.. 4.2/5

Rahul

The Other Guys - Review

2010-08-08T00:02:00.000-06:00

The Other Guys - Unforgiving Fun, Crazy Laughs; a good way to spend a few hours.

They are the other guys, the Cops who do the mundane job, they are not the guys racing through the streets and firing their guns. Yeah right.

This movie is full of car chases, gun fights and rib ticking laughs.Will Ferrell's unmistakable comic flare comes through in this movie that keeps poking jokes at itself. Some of these jokes borrow themselves from good old action movies and some are down right dumb. Mark Wahlberg plays a great comic sidekick in this cop comedy. His comic timing and his constant surprise with Will Farrell's insane nature and crazy luck provides a laughs.

The movie starts of slow with some really bad jokes and you wonder if you made a mistake watching the movie. But it slowly sucks you in. You find yourself laughing at more and more jokes. By the end of the movie you realize that you have had a good time. Wasn't that the idea anyway. I'd say this movie is worth watching at least once at least on DVD.

I'd say on the whole... this a 3/5. Go have a few laughs

Rahul

Inception - Movie Review

2010-07-17T11:39:00.001-06:00

Inception - Classic Nolan, Mind Bending, Dark, Gripping, Makes you think.

Wow. It's been a while since I saw a good movie at the theater. What a refreshing movie. Going into someone's mind is scary in itself, but, the idea that you can go into someone's dreams and take an idea, or for that matter plant an idea is mind boggling (pun intended).

The world of Inception is one where Dream invasion is a accepted fact and people are trained to control their minds when they are in the dream state. An idea stolen from a dream may be one of the biggest trade secrets that one might want to keep buried away, or might just be a deep dark loathing for another person.We all know these dreams that we go into, we don't even realize that we are dreaming until we wake up. Now, imagine someone going into that dream, walking around trying to be a part of it. Trying not to disturb the mind, but acting like a part of it. Hoping you will reveal your secrets to him.

Don't worry, I've not given away the plot of the movie, I've just tried to explain the concept. Leonardo DiCaprio is supported by a brilliant cast in this movie that keeps you hooked from the beginning till the last scene. When the credits rolled yesterday, the chorus of "Ahhh" that went out in the theater was a first for me. I'm definitely going to watch this movie again. Not to say I didn't understand it, Just because I really liked it and want to take in every detail again.

A must watch. 4.25 on 5

Rahul.

Get Him To The Greek - Review

2010-07-06T13:02:00.000-06:00

Get Him To The Greek - Just get it on DVD.

The movie is what the name suggests.. Aaron Green (Jonah Hill) a runt in the music industry is tasked with bringing a perpetually high Rock star, Aldus Snow (Russell Brand) from London to the Greek Theater in LA for an anniversary concert.

Aldus Snow is the rocker whose career has gone down the drain and is on every conceivable narcotic. Aaron Green, is Green. He's new to the music industry and is looking to make a name for himself. He idolizes Aldus and is thrilled with the opportunity to Get him to the Greek.

The movie makes no excuses for itself as it tires to throw tasteless jokes after jokes at you. Granted some of them are funny and make you laugh. But some of the promos of this movie suggest that it's as funny as "The Hangover". Give me a break. "The Hangover" was one of the funniest movies I have seen in a while. The Greek does not even come close.

I'd say it's definitely one of the movies that will give you a good laugh one day when you watch it on TV. But do you really need to go to the movies for this one? I don't think so.

An average movie.. 2.5/5

Rahul.

Invictus - Movie on DVD Review

2010-06-20T16:24:00.001-06:00

Invictus - A beautifully crafted true story. A Must Watch

Nelson Mandela became the President of South Africa at the end of Apartheid, but was left with a country to re-build, a people to re-unite. Invictus is the story of one of these efforts to re-unite his people to mend the soul of the nation. He recognized that Rugby is a passion that can be used to divide and unite. He used it to inspire François Pienaar the captain of the team and to unite a country. As he said, "One Country, One Team!"

The story has a wonderful mood throughout, it keeps you gripped and that's due in part to music. The African music in the movie is mesmerizing. The story really makes you feel for the country and the amount its had to endure. It makes you know these men, Nelson and Francois and their road to that championship. I know this story is but a small page in Nelson Mandela's life but this movie shows you how much he cared for his nation and his people. His ability to forgive and move on and teaching his people to do the same.

The movie's leading stars both put in brilliant performances. Morgan Freeman looks hauntingly like Nelson Mandela, but for the fact that he's a few inches taller, you can't but think about the similarity in their appearances. As expected from him, his performance is flawless. The accent, the way he carries himself. There couldn't have been a better person to play the part. Matt Damon's portrayal of the Springbok team captain is earnest. One meeting with Mandela and he's a man inspired and he continually tries to inspire his team to play for entire nation.

All in all. For a movie on DVD. 4.5 on 5. Go watch it.

Rahul.

Raavan - Review

2010-06-19T09:55:00.002-06:00

Raavan - This inspiration from Ramayana is worth a watch

The trailers of this movie have kept a lot of people in anticipation of another brilliant movie by Mani Ratnam. The movie does not disappoint. You are kept entertained and engrossed all through the 2 hours of the movie.

In this interpretation of Ram and Raavan, Raavan is the most hardened dacoit in town and Ram is the cop sent in to slay him where everyone else has failed. The movie is very differently styled from most other movies I have seen. The colors, the music and the mood of the movie all fit perfectly to create a very artistic movie. Oddly, that was one of the things that I said when I was leaving home to go watch the movie. "I don't really like Arty movies...I don't know if am going to really enjoy the movie". But I did. My mistake. I shouldn't have doubted that the movie would be quality.

But don't get me wrong the movie is far from brilliant. It's a good movie and worth a one time watch at the movies.Abhishek Bachchan tries his best to portray Beera as a mad, dangerous, gentle and at the and of the day a highly conflicted individual. And he does quite well in most regards. There are times in the movie where you really feel for his character. But he really does not have to put his hand at the side of his head every 15 minutes and shout "chaka chaka chaka chaka". It seems a strange way to show he's mad.Vikram, plays the role of the DSP to the best of his ability in his first hindi movie. This modern day crusader for good however is no way all pure. He's shown in very well constructed shades of grey. One felt that he would make a much better Raavan. Which is why I feel the Tamil version may actually be better. We'll let's see. I may just update this post once I've seen that one.Aishwarya Rai actually delivers one of her better performances. She plays the strong and willful Ragini with amazing grace.

Why should you watch this movie? If you want to see something different. Something that keeps you hooked till the very end and see something stunning for the eyes and ears. Mani Ratnam, A R Rahman. Way to Go!

I'd say 3.65/5

Rahul.

The One Day Overhaul

2010-06-18T15:36:00.001-06:00

What do we do with ODI Cricket?

One Day Cricket the literal middle child of Cricket. Years ago, it was the dynamic, young version of cricket that would bring in some interest to the great game of cricket. Face it, how much ever we all love test cricket, no one could claim to have the time to watch 5 days of action. The one day game made sense. But fast forward to our generation and ODIs are today where Tests were back then. No one has the time to watch an entire day of cricket. People want fast satisfaction, introduce the 20/20. All said and done, the format is a raging success (due in major part to the IPL). Test cricket now is strong and most matches have results. The influx of ODIs and Twenty 20's have ensured that the style of cricket has changed (Tests have gone down the road of old wine, I suppose). So, that leaves us to ask, what of ODIs? Does cricket really need 3 formats?

The number of experiments that have been done with ODI's over the years tend to suggest that there is a problem with the format. There is a cut that does not seem to heal. Think about it. ODI's started as a 60 over game and very soon it was cut down to 50 overs a side. That's the format that most of us would remember growing up. 50 overs a side, fielding restrictions in the first 15 overs, no bouncers and amazing cricket. ODI's in the 90's was a joy to watch, with enigmatic players and fierce rivalries. The generation of Waqar, Wasim, McGrath, Warne, Walsh, Ambrose, Donald ensured a balance between the bat and ball. Brilliant batsman emerged who destroyed them. It was all part of the fun. But as time went on, pitches became better, bowlers were not as special.ODI's lost their balance, batsmen started dominating and the changes came in thick and fast.The One Bouncer Per Over, allowing bowlers to use all their skills. The Super Sub, allowing captains to swap out a player at one time in the game. The Free Hit, you can't get out the ball after a no-ball. The Power Plays, changing up the 15 over fielding restrictions into 3 slots. The Batting Power Play, giving control of one of the power plays to the batting side. The Referral, letting players question the umpire's decision. Some of these changes were for the good. They made sense, the bouncers and the free hits improved the quality of the cricket. The Batting power play introduced a new tactical angle to the game.

But none of these changes have been able to address the major problem of ODIs. The Middle Overs.The time in the game between the fielding restrictions and the final 5-10 overs where the batting team consolidates and the the bowling team tries to get it's weaker bowlers out of the way. It produces some dull cricket. The problem has been exaggerated with the introduction of T20s. The reason T20s are a success because they just cut out the problem in the ODI game. It's just a shorter, faster version of it's predecessor. But, I feel the T20s are missing something. They are missing the soul of the game. The game is too fast. It does not provide a chance for the a player to test all his skills. It does not allow a plan to be formed. And although T20 is the format of choice today, all of us would agree that ODIs are something different. They have a place of their own. All of us will remember sitting in front of our TVs and bitting our nails during a thrilling ODI. But not too many of us can remember too many T20s.

England and South Africa have already changed their domestic one day competitions to 40 overs a side. Shorter the game, shorter the boredom? Hmm.. I don't think so. That may not be the answer. 40 overs or 50 overs. It does not make too much of a difference. If there is a talk of a over haul. Over haul it the right way. Turn it out side down, inside out. Come up with something new. Something that will work. So is there an answer?

So, what do we do? Cricket Australia thinks they have the answer. Make the ODI a mini Test match. Break it down into a 4 inning game of 25 overs each.Okay, it's not a revolutionary idea. It's one that's made it's rounds in cricket for a long time. It's been whispered and discussed but never tired out. So here's it's chance. But how would it work? It would be no better than 2 back to back T20's if the teams restarted each innings with all 10 wickets intact. Don't worry, CA has the solution. Not only would the new ODI format carry over the runs, but also the wickets lost in the previous innings.What that means is that a batsman can bat only once and the second innings could potentially see only tail enders at the wicket. This may produce some really lopsided contests.

I think the CA model warrants and honest trial. People are assuming that the second innings could see only tail enders bat. But that may not be the case. You may land up seeing that captains are smarter than that. If they loose 2 or 3 wickets in their first time out, they are going to send out the tail enders to hold up the innings, so that the rest of the batsmen can have another chance the second time around.There might be a total re-structure in the way a team is selected. They may want 3 openers, 2 middle order batsmen and 3 all rounders in each team to bring in the balance. But there are other things that they could try. This is a 4 inning game but each person gets to bat only once. Am also assuming that each bowler will get only 5 overs each. So why not split the wickets as well? You can loose only a maximum of 5 wickets in an innings. This will allow teams to use their batsmen strategically based on the nature of the nature of the game and the pitch. They would also need a new follow on rule. So if the team batting second does not get within 100 runs of the oppositions score they can be asked to follow on. Of course the innings victory concept would still remain, if the team batting second bowls out the opposition twice for less than their first total. This may be an amazing way to watch the player cope with the pressures of the test match in a single day.

The 2011 World cup in South Asia may be the last of it's kind if the trials go well and world cup doesn't. I don't know how many people will miss it and how many will embrace the brave new world. But I don't expect major changes overnight after the world cup because if the world cup goes well Haroon Logart said nothing would change. And in India I don't expect the World cup to be a disaster. But I don't think that's the right attitude. It's a good idea and it should be at least tried at the international level as an experiment in bi-lateral series. It will take time to evolve and it must be given that opportunity. Maybe it should be a choice for bi-lateral series for teams to decide what format of ODI's they want to play, that would help experiment with ideas a the highest level.

Well.. just my thoughts..Also read what Harsha Bhogle & Dean Jones had to say on Split innings One dayers... I think the first article has some really valid points. But Dean Jones' idea would dilute the quality of the competition.

Rahul..
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POST SCRIPT: August 13th 2010 - Too many changes too soon.

Today, Cricket Australia (CA) announced that they have approved the Split innings one day competition for the upcoming one day season. The players are not happy that it will be all season long as they feel it will affect their World cup preparation, but the board says they have done what the fans want. That's not my problem with this change. The problem I have is with the number of changes they are making.

They could have just made the game 25 overs per side, with wickets carrying over, but they have tweaked it much more.. I think it will confuse players and fans. Here's the rundown of what they are doing,

45 overs a side - First innings will be 20 overs and the Second will be 25.

This one gives the second innings more time.
It makes sense. It's more important. It decides the game

12 players per side. Any 11 can bat and any 11 can field.

My biggest problem is with this change.
Cricket is a 11 man game. Stick to that.
This was tried before in a different way with the super sub and it didn't work.
Why again? It does not add value.

Two Bouncers per over - Enough said.

This change is cool.

Enough of 400+ scores, go bounce those batsman out.

2 Balls throughout the game for each team

Really? - One new ball at each side which goes throughout both innings.
I don't know how this will work.
One ball may wear out more than the other, one may swing more than the other.
Where do you keep the other ball - with the umpire?

12 Overs for a bowler throughout the game

Yeah OK. So I need only 4 bowlers in the side.
That's good for most international teams, who don't play 5 bowlers anyway.
I think we may see teams playing just 3 specialist bowlers now.

Insane Field Restrictions - Overs 1-5 = 2 fielders outside the circle; 6-20 = 4 outside; 21-25 = 2 outside, 26-45 = 4 outside & NO POWER PLAYS.

The first innings is slap, bang, boom and the second is supposed to even it out.
Yikes, all the best to the cricketers to remember this.
The power plays didn't add much to the game, it don't think it will be missed.

The trial is a big leap in itself. Why muddle with the entire game. This is trying to bite off more than you can chew. They are either trying to kill the idea or drive away the traditionalists. I still hope the trial goes well, but at the end of it some committee comes together and says, "Split innings makes sense, but these other rules don't".

Let me sign off with this quote from James Sutherland about the changes.

"The public told us to act and we have," he said. "The fans told us, through formal research, that they like ODI cricket best, but they want to see it refreshed and they want to see it with a short-form identity that is distinctively different from fast-emerging T20 cricket.

Read the entire article at Cricinfo

Rahul...

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Avatar - The Last Airbender - TV Series

2010-06-13T10:06:00.003-06:00

Avatar - The Last Airbender - More than Just a Cartoon for Kids.

It took me 2 Weeks to get through 3 seasons of this animated series from Nickelodeon. From the Boy in the Iceberg to Sozin's comet, almost every episode of this animated series is worth a watch. The series does have a Anime flare to it added with a touch of American influences.

The story is set in a world that's divided into four nations based on the four main elements, Air, Water, Earth and Fire. In each of these nations there are people known as Benders, who can control these elements. The Avatar is a Bender, who masters all 4 elements and keeps the balance between the nations. Every time an Avatar dies, he is re-incarnated in the next element.

After the Fire Avatar disappeared, the Fire nation attacked the other elements in a bid to conquer the world and destroy the Avatar. But as you may expect he miraculously survived. The Last Air Bender.

The Avatar, known as Aang is found by two children from the southern Water tribe called Kitara and Sokka. The series chronicles their journey as the Avatar tries to learn the other elements in order to be able to beat the Fire Nation. Along the way they meet new friends and save many people, bringing hope where all was lost.

As all Good vs. Evil stories, you know who's going to win. But this series has some surprising nuances that I didn't expect in a kids show. If you are a fan of Sci-Fi or fantasy. If you like Anime, I'm sure you'll love this series. All the action, comic escapes, innocence and gripping story line that you'd expect is all in here.

It's a must watch. 4.5/5... Have Fun!

I was curious about the series because of the trailers for the upcoming movie. I wanted to know what it was about. When I started, never did I think I'd run through it at this pace. Now let's see if M. Night. Shamylan can do the series justice. Watching the trailers, I can see that the world of the Avatar is portrayed with all sincerity, but am not sure how much of the comic element would stay in the movie adaptation. Let's hope fr the best. The first part of a possible trilogy is slated for a July 2nd release.

Update July 25th 2011 - After seeing the reviews on this movie, I decided to give it a pass at the time. I started watching the movie a few days ago. It was the most boring thing I have seen in ages. I couldn't even get through an hour of the movie. It's way too compressed. They have tried to be faithful to the cartoon. But you really can't put an entire season into a 2 hour movie. I'll say watch the series, give the movie a pass.

Rahul..

A-Team Movie Review

2010-06-13T09:32:00.002-06:00

The A-Team... There should have been a plan B

The re-make of this '80s TV series, does not really have too much in it to be a fun time at the movies. So much that my wife actually fell asleep on and off in the movie...

I went for the movie expecting something ridiculous. I saw a few reviews that said it was over the top and I assumed that would mean an hour and a half of nonsensical laughter.

Unfortunately, even though the movie is quite ridiculous, there aren't too many scenes that make you laugh or action sequences that make you go WOW other than, the one at the end with the cargo crate slight of hand.

But, this movie I suspect will do well on DVD and on TV. It's one of those movies that you watch because you have nothing better to do. I wouldn't recommend going to watch this movie at the theater. Give it a few months and catch it on DVD.

On the whole, the movie is just below average... 2.3/5 Watch it at your own risk. You may enjoy it

Rahul

Raajneeti - Review

2010-06-05T18:47:00.004-06:00

RAAJNEETI - Action Packed Drama that loses itself along the way

Politics and Way beyond! This Prakash Jha movie tries to show the political system at it's worst with the corruption, violence, back stabbing and scheming associated with the political system. It's mixed with solid Indian movie masala in an attempt to make a blockbuster.

The movie is about politics in Madhya Pradesh, and about a political family. The family has held the state for decades.The movie starts of slow, introducing all the characters and trying to set the scene. But after the first 15 minutes the movie picks the pace and pulls you in. Right at the start you feel, oh man these guys are going to mess it up. With a filmy scene where Nana Patekar puts a baby in a basket in the river. Why did the upcoming Dalit have to be related to the biggest political family. Anyway, after a while you tend to forget that detail as the story pulls you in. Almost all the actors in this movie do their roles justice and you are at the edge of your seat.

The story of this political family of Bhanu Pratap & Chandra Pratap, is helped by a brilliant cast of actors, Arjun Rampal (Prithvi Pratap) & Manoj Bajpai (Veerendra Pratap) who play their sons vying for their father's crowns. You feel from the get go that this is a fireball waiting to explode. It would take just a spark. That spark was Bhanu Pratap getting a stroke. From there the party gets factionalized by the cousins as the story builds.

The illicit son Sooraj Kumar, played by Ajay Devgan is a youth Dalit leader who wants the best for his village and will stand up to any leader in his way.The final twist is added by the entry of the US return Samar Pratap (Ranbir Kapoor), you really don't know what he's doing in the movie at first, but as the story builds you realize that this is one of the best performances by this young actor.

All the actors are supported brilliantly by Nana Patekar, who plays the king maker and advisor of the family, Brij Gopal. The cunning and danger of this character is evident through out the movie.

When the movie started, my wife and I were trying to figure out which political party they are trying to depict. It took us 20 minutes to realize, all they had done was take the worst each of them had to offer and make this story. I guess the problem with the movie is that it tends to get very filmy every 20 mins or so. Brilliant potential. Horribly ended.

So, let me rate this movie this way. Except for the last 20 minutes, the movie is 3.5/5.

But for the slow drawn out ending & unnecessary plot twists I'm going to say the movie is just below average. But definitely worth a watch. All in all. 2.9/5

Rahul

Green Street Hooligans - DVD Review

2010-05-26T08:48:00.005-06:00

Green Street Hooligans (2005) - Review

An old movie, but I don't know how many of us have seen it.

This is a movie about a English Football Firm, called the GSE (Green Street Elite). For the uninitiated (like I was till last night), a Firm is a gang for whom football is their life. They support their club to such extremes that involve blood and violence.

Elijah Wood plays a kid, Matt Buckner who gets kicked out of Harvard for doing drugs. He makes his way to London to visit his sister and her family. This is where he meets Pete Dunham (Charlie Hunnam), the leader of the GSE. He takes this "Yank" kid under his wing and he over time becomes part of the firm. The movie takes you through the life of a firm, from Matt's perspective as he grows in the firm.

It's a powerful movie that shows the perils of the gang life. But at the end of the day it's a coming of age story of Matt Buckner, where he learns to stand up for himself. It's definitely worth a watch.

I'll say 3.6/5

Rahul..

One awesome thing is this movie : The GAME is FOOTBALL - NOT SOCCER!! :D

Robin Hood Movie (2010) - Review

2010-05-15T22:42:00.007-06:00

ROBIN HOOD - Review

Ridley Scott, Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett.. A dream team of movie makers. Especially for period epics. Expectations are through the roof. Does Robin Hood deliver? Yes & No. Read on to see why.

The best thing that they did when they made this movie was to change the story. I don't think anyone wants to hear the same old Robin Hood story re-told. He steals from the Rich and Gives to the poor. He's a noble man who lived in Sherwood forest. The Sheriff of Nottingham is the bad guy and Maid Marianne is his love interest. We've all seen and read that story in a multitude of ways.

No, this story did not go down that path. The characters in the story are the same as the legend. But the story completely different. It begins with the story of King Richard and his Holy Crusade. Robin Longstride is a archer in his army who along with his "merry" men gets on the wrong side of the King & at the moment of the King's death escape persecution. As they make their way back to England a strange set of events occur which cause Robin and his men to pose themselves as Knights taking the crown back to London. The movie from this point on shows a very different Robin Longstride, one with morals, but not a cause. The cause comes when he arrives at Nottingham and is made Robin of Loxley. I'm not going to give out much more of the story, because that would defeat the purpose of a new EPIC. Let me just say this really worth the time. The story is very well developed and differently presented.

Where the new story makes this movie really enjoyable is also where this movie has a problem. It takes forever for them to build each character. Explain what they are about, and set the background plot. It's a slow starter. But, I guess it's a EPIC. It's going to take some time to digest. The sets are really astounding, especially the Fort at York and London of the 12th century. The battle scenes in the climax of the movie also make you feel like you are in that age. All the actors in the movie play their parts well. There's no performance that stands out as exceptional or poor. You just like watching the movie.

All in all I enjoyed it. The only thing was I got up from the movie saying. Couldn't it have been a bit shorter? Anyway - it's worth a watch. 3.66/5.

Rahul.

Firefly - The Series & Serenity -The Movie (Review)

2010-05-10T21:42:00.006-06:00

Firefly & Serenity - Review

These two series have been on Netflix instant play for a while now. I finally got around to watching both of them.

Half way through the series, I was really looking forward to blogging about it and telling everyone that this was a really cool series that was cut short. I was really looking forward to singing it's praises. But, unfortunately, I can't do that. 'Caus

neither the series nor the movie actually deserve that level of accolades.

They do however warrant a mention. Because it was not bad. Because it was a nice idea, there was some chemistry & well 'caus I'm a SciFi fan who has run out of Star Trek & Star Wars stuff to watch.

I had watched Buffy & Angel off and on. They had a certain flair. Firefly brought that same flair to this series as well. I guess it's the Josh Whedon touch. As a concept, Firefly is great. The earth has run out of resources so humans find other worlds to colonize. And then of course some places become richer and some poorer. Wars break out and battle lines are drawn. All make a great recipe. The best part of this series was that it was about humans in space. Not some humans with 10 other alien species mixed in.

Anyway, the series had a certain space cowboys, western feel and is quite riveting. You go from episode to episode relating to the characters,building a bond. And just when you wonder where the series is going. It get's canned. So, that takes us to the movie.

Ok. Let's take a breath. Before I talk about the Movie. Firefly on it's own according to me is 3.66/5 for a TV series. It's defiantly worth a watch - although not the best I've seen.

So, Serenity. I guess the makers had to make this movie to give some kind of a logical ending to their series, their franchise. I guess they did to that. Eventually. The movie tires to tie up the loose ends in the series. Like, what did the Alliance do to River? Who the hell is Shepard Book? And, what on earth are Refers?

Again, as a concept, the story is good. But the execution is poor. The movie takes very long to get going and by the time it does, you are ready for it to end. To give it credit. It does end well. The closing plot is very good and the acting does get better as the movie moves along. But, since it's a movie, I'll have to say it's just average. 2.5/5 for Serenity.

I think, if you have some spare time on your hands & you like SciFi, you can do worse than Firefly & Serenity. I'd say just watch Firefly, but that makes no sense, you'll want to know how it ends. So take the good with the bad and watch both. You may not regret it. :)

Rahul.

The Blind Side - Movie on DVD Review

2010-05-08T22:30:00.007-06:00

The Blind Side

A movie about a gentle Giant. A simple story about a boy and his mother. Micheal Oher is a boy from the tough side of town who gets a chance to join a private school. As he struggles to make use of this opportunity and do well in school, he is noticed by a woman named Leigh Ann Tuohy. She realizes that he's homeless and gives him a bed for the night. She feels for him and she has him stay with her and tries to ensure that the family takes him as one of their own. Over time grows as she takes him as her son. The teachers in the school and Leigh Ann help Micheal with his studies and over time, he becomes eligible to play Football for the school.

Don't expect too many twists and turns, this is just the story of one boy and his mama. What makes it really beautiful is when you realize that it's a true story. What it must have been like for the actual Leigh Ann & her family. How the bond between them was as close as any Mother and son. I really liked this simple story. It's defiantly worth a watch.

Sandra Bullock - She's the star of the movie, and she plays the role with a lot of conviction. You can really relate to the character, the way she has portrayed her as a no nonsense, loving and determined woman. This role deserved all the accolades that it received.

Quinton Aaron - He's the gentlest big guy on screen. He plays the role of Big Mike really well and you feel for this young boy, even though he looks twice my size. His determination, his love for his family, the way he just wants to please everyone. Beautifully performed role.

For the simple truth - 4/5.

Rahul.

IRON MAN 2 - REVIEW

2010-05-07T23:02:00.008-06:00

IRON MAN - 2

So where did the last movie leave off. Oh yeah that's right, Tony Stark says he's Iron Man. OK, I thought they'd find a way around that and say that it didn't really happen. I was also dreading what this movie would be. I thought it would just be a money spinner. A cheesy rip-off of the first movie. But, I was wrong it was actually better.

The movie picks up with the Government asking Tony to hand over the Iron Man suit. I think you can guess how that request goes down. :) But from there on, the plot is stitched beautifully, with Ivan Vanko plotting and scheming to take Iron Man down. As with most Downey movies, you see his character fall down only to get up again better than before (not to be read as the bad guy wins - watch the movie, you'll understand - I'm not giving you the story).

How's the movie? It's great. The story is actually pretty good and it's different from other superhero movies and that's 'caus the hero is such an ass. Now if they could only find him some actual villains to fight Iron Man, the movie would actually get interesting. Really, Mickey Rourke just can't act. I'm glad he plays the Russian Ivan Vanko in the movie, that way he does not have too many lines. For the few that he has I don't think he does them justice.

I like Robert Downey Jr. I like his attitude and the way he portrays Tony Stark, and frankly he's the only shining light in the movie as far as acting goes. Oh no, wait. There was one more actor in this movie worth mentioning. Scarlett Johansson. She plays Stark's lawyer/bodyguard - and although she's got a very small role in the movie she plays it really well.

Don Cheadle finally gets to wear the suit and some of the scenes with him and Iron Man are quite cool. Especially in the big fight in the end. Ok, so now we have Iron Man's side kick as well. So what next? Iron Man 3? Or do we go straight to the Avengers ?

RATING : 3.75 on 5... (I'm not giving it a 4 because they should have made the Villain a bit more dangerous)

Rahul.

Note of congratulations to self :)

My 100th published Blog post. Wow, that took a long time.

I had similar blog about 3 years ago when I posted my 50th . I thought this would have come much sooner. Well I guess with me just blogging with reviews it does slow things down. Anyway - I'm going to keep going. I hope people keep reading.

Kick-Ass (Movie) Review

2010-04-26T08:59:00.006-06:00

KICK ASS

Kick Ass, is a good 2 hours of Blood, Gore and Fun. It's about a teenage kid who decides to become a superhero. As he starts getting his ass kicked, he meets Hit Girl(Chloe Moretz), a 11 year old super hero is the real star of the movie. She fights crime with her father Big Daddy(Nicholas Cage).

Where Chloe's performance is brilliant and refreshing, Cage's performance was nothing short of terrible, he's literally wheezing through the performance. Chloe literally carries the movie & this pint sized superhero is one amazing act. Aaron Johnson who plays the role of Kick-Ass, is really just the narrator of the story, with a geeky goofy superhero thrown in here and there.

I'd say watch the movie, just because it's fun & I've not seen a movie worth watching in the theater's for a long time now. This is not a classic, but a lot of fun. 3/5.

Rahul

IPL on YouTube

2010-03-12T23:42:00.003-06:00

I was really excited when I came to know that IPL would be available on You Tube and that they would be streaming the matches live was even better. But, then I heard that the matches would not be available in the US. That was a crushing blow... I thought that we would get to watch the IPL matches live. That would have been fun. Anyway, we at least got a consolation prize with the upload of highlights. Something is better than nothing I guess. A 3 hour game in 30 Mins is not so bad.

IPL On You Tube!

Rahul

Luck By Chance - Movie On DVD Review

2010-03-07T00:03:00.003-06:00

As promised, here's the review for Luck By Chance. Another Hindi Film Industry story... It's a light story which goes along expected lines. Farhan Akhtar and Konkona Sen Sharma play their respective roles as usual with ease. I have never found myself thinking that they put an effort into acting or that their performances are over the top.

It's the canned, cliched and used a million times story of struggling actors and their life in the Hindi film industry. The movie centers on the life of Vikram Jai Singh , a theater actor, from Delhi and Sona, a bits and pieces actor, in Mumbai. It's the story of what happens when one of them gets the big break. The movie portrays so many of the movie industry's story lines and gossip in a very light and funny way. The movie is a satire while having a nice flowing story line. The number of special appearances from each and every actor in the industry was a bit too much. I guess I enjoyed this movie because I was sitting at home and this was a way to kill time and have a few laughs. There's not much story to write about here. By now, I'm sure you must have figured out the entire story. If you are bored one evening and don't know what to do, you could do much much worse than watching Luck By Chance. It's solid time pass. :)

I'd say 3/5...

Rahul

Karthik Calling Karthik - Review

2010-02-27T23:13:00.006-06:00

Karthik Calling Karthik

Slick - That's the first word that came to my mind when I was watching this movie. You go through the story without for a second feeling like something is overdone or a scene under-performed.

I am very reluctant to write details about this movie in my review as it may give away parts of the plot. I am going to do this review in 2 parts. The first is just going be a review for those who want to know how the movie is. And second for those who have seen the movie and just wanted to read my blog, or for the strange person who wanted to know the details before they actually saw it. Either way, don't worry, am not giving away the plot in this blog. :)

Part 1: As the name suggests it's about Karthik Calling Karthik. The movie is really carried by this one line. Farhan Akthar plays the role with such ease that you forget that he's just 3 movies old. He plays the role of Karthik, a Accountant in a Construction company. The movie is about how he grows into his character and his love interest, played by Deepika Padukone. The movie flows beautifully, with both characters playing of each other with ease. The language in the movie is very much in tone with the setting as well. Hindi and English are used in appropriate amounts and you don't realize it when they switch between them. The music throughout the movie is mesmerizing and I loved it. Ok enough said. I thought the movie was really Good. So, I suggest if you are planning to watch it, go ahead.... it's worth it. You can read the rest of the review at your own peril. Because you may feel like I did, that this guy gave away too much of the story.

Part 2: OK here goes, I think KCK, is so brilliant because, just when you think you know what's going on it takes a turn, leaving you wondering what it is. KCK, begins with Karthik as a lost individual with psychological problems which arise from his childhood. He is madly in love with his co-worker Shonali, who does not even know he exists. He, in effect, is a door mat. Everyone just runs all over him. When he is at his wits end about to lose everything that mattered to him, he receives a call from another Karthik. From that scene on, the movie has this eerie edge to it. Farhan has this strange and amazing way to bring such strength and weakness into his voice that you find one Karthik who is this weak lost soul and the other is a strong force willing him along. With help from the guy on the phone, Karthik goes on to fix his life and get the girl of his dreams. Just when things seem to be going on predictably and you think hey this is just another one of those stories, hey it takes some pretty interesting turns. In the end the movie sorts its self out and all the questions are answered. But, at no point in the movie are you left disappointed or wanting for more. You will empathize with the character, and leave the theater saying great job. I did anyway.

I'll say this is another 4 on 5. I have seen quite a few good movies recently... This is the 3rd Hindi movie in recent times that I have given this rating. Wow. I'm actually impressed. Because I don't impress easily.

Farhan Akthar is a fast becoming one of my favorite actors. He has this strange easy way about him. He plays his parts so effortlessly that you find him really easy to relate to. This is only his second movie that I am watching. Very soon I'll be watching "Lucky By Chance" on DVD. Look out for that review.

Rahul.

My Name Is KHAN - Review

2010-02-13T00:59:00.003-06:00

MY NAME IS KHAN

Well, I was pleasantly surprised. The trailers, the sneak peeks left me wondering. Was the movie too cliché, too full of song and dance routines. It was a Karan Johar movie after all.

The movie right from the get go was so polished. SRK plays the role of Rizwan Khan with such ease that even though you empathize with his character, who has Autism, you don't feel guilty laughing, when he does the most funny and child like things with total innocence. Of course less than two seconds later you find your heart strings being pulled by some beautiful moment. This movie pulls no punches, SRK with his head held down, walking around the country with so much of heart, that you can't miss it. One line that you hear in the movie over and over is "My Name is Khan - And I am not a Terrorist". It's filled with so much of meaning, but is at times over used.

The way in which the story is presented in a storytellers mode, is beautiful and you don't feel like you are going back and forth in the story. Kajol and SRK's chemistry has always been unmistakable and this movie is no exception. Their love story is so elegantly portrayed without ever taking the attention away from the main theme of the story.With the story opening up slowly and elegantly, literally blooming, I found every minute of the first half so captivating, that when the interval arrives you are in awe and are really worried that the second half is not going to live up to it.

Unfortunately, that is the case. Although the second half of the movie begins really strong and it takes the story forward, Karan Johar seems to drift and get too involved with almost super human feats. The movie would have been much better served as a story which continued only on his life and journey. The final scenes in the movie take away from a beautiful story and might have been avoided. But for these few scenes, this is one of the best hindi movies I have seen recently.For Karan Johan, I'll say one thing, most of his movies have these huge songs with a 100 extras singing and dancing in the background. I wouldn't say this movie does not have that, but all the songs fit perfectly into the story line. The story and concept is sweet and as I read rightly in some other reviews, sincerely executed.

The movie is 3.5 on 5 (but, just for the fact that it tugs at your heart so much I'll give it 4)

Rahul

Oh yeah.. About the other 2 hindi movies I liked as much as this one but didn't get a chance to review. They would be 3 Idiots and Kurbaan. I know 3 Idiots is no comparison as it's in another genre, and undoubtedly the best hindi movie ever. Kurbaan is a very elegant, thrilling story about terror that was really under rated. Saif Ali Khan and Kareena gave brilliant performances in that movie. With all the movies about 9/11.. MNIK and Kurbaan are 1 & 2.

Avatar IMAX 3D - Review

2010-02-09T19:53:00.000-06:00

AVATAR - IMAX 3D

I know, I know.. Over 2 months after it's release.. After it's become the biggest blockbuster ever... Dude your late.

Well everyone who saw this movie told me not to watch it in 2D. It had to be in 3D. So this last Sunday, my wife and I set out to watch this movie in the afternoon.Guess what... It was sold out. So, we bought tickets for the next show (which was by the way 4 hours later) and set out to do some other work. We returned to the theater an hour before our show was to start, thinking we'd be the first in line. Guess what.. we weren't. There were 4 folks already in line. Well it's a 3D movie and I guess everyone wanted the best seats in the house. We were no different I guess. We got in right in the center of the theater, supposedly the best seats in the house.

To top it off, this was the first IMAX full feature movie that we had seen. The only other 3D movies that we had seen before this were some Discovery channel specials. Trust me, they aren't worth the time or the money. So needless to say, I was curious. What was the big deal? I in fact even Goggled to to find out the difference between Real3D and IMAX 3D, I wanted us to get the best movie viewing experience ever...

So, was this movie really worth all this Hype....
Frankly, I don't think so. It was visually the most stunning movie that I have seen. But it does not have much of a story. It's a standard Masala movie visually stunning action scenes and breathtaking animation. It's about evil plundering humans and their quest for "Unobtainium" on the planet of Pandora.The planet is a green wonderland that's inhabited by a large variety of creatures and a humanoid species known as the Nabi. So as you may have guessed the movie about their fight for survival. Since humans can't move around the planet freely, they use robotic war suits and experimental "Nabi Avatars" who are bred from Human and Nabi DNA. Well this goes on and on, but by this point most of us have guessed where the story is going by now. So I'll stop here and tell you what I think about it. Being the first time I've seen a 3D movie, I was considerably impressed with the effects and the colors. I haven't seen so many colors in a movie before this. You really feel that the Nabi are real and you can really relate to them. The movie is seamless between live action and animation. Just for the graphics, the fast paced nature of the movie, watch it once. But please, don't get your hopes up. Just enjoy the ride and go home.

If I have to rate it, It's just 3.5 on 5..

Rahul

For those wondering... Real 3D uses a single projector v.s.IMAX 3D which has 2.. So apparently, IMAX is better, because it can show more detail and clarity, oh yeah and it has a bigger screen.

The Illusionist - Movie On DVD Review

2010-02-09T09:53:00.005-06:00

The Illusionist

After really enjoying The Prestige last year, I decided to watch the Illusionist, which seemed to be along a similar theme - MAGIC!

It's set in early 1900's Vienna, the movie is about an illusionist named Eisenhiem played by Edward Norton who dazzles the town with his magic. Eisenhiem's story is recounted at the start of the movie where we learn about his history in the town, his love story with a Duchess Sophie (played by Jessica Biel) who are separated due to their class differences.

When Eisenheim returns to Vienna, he notices Sophie at one of his shows and there begins the roller coaster story of love, betrayal, murder and magic. The story is brilliantly supported by a good setting and powerful performances by all the actors. With the twists and turns, it's only towards the end that you really understand what's going on.

This movie was a fun and gripping watch. 4.5 out 5 for this magical adventure.

Rahul....

Ishqiya - Movie Review

2010-02-08T10:16:00.005-06:00

After seeing a bunch of reviews which gave this movie 4 stars, I decided to go watch the movie and see what the deal was. But, I didn't actually read those reviews, all I saw was that the movie was starring 3 big stars and decided to go ahead and watch it.

The first 5 mins of the movie was difficult to understand due to the thick UP accent. But by the time you get used to the language, the movie is already off to a rolling start and it does not stop until the end. Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi have an awesome camaraderie and the play their respective roles beautifully. But, the definite star of the movie would be Vidya Balan, her performance is so full of mystery and sensuality that it keeps you hooked. It's a simple, feisty story with a very different story.

The movie has slight flavors of a Quentin Tarantino story, with a very edgy story and a romantic triangle thrown in. I'm sure most people will like this story just because it's so different from a standard Bollywood story. A gutsy movie with a awesome setting. I'll give it 3.5 out of 5.

A definite must watch.

Rahul...

X-Men Origins - Wolverine Review

2009-05-10T10:04:00.003-06:00

X MEN ORIGINS - WOLVERINE...

Well this review is a week late.. But what the heck.. I saw Wolverine Origins last week..

Well this movie is a prequel to a long comic book saga, which has three feature films to it's name already. Most us us might have known what to expect from this movie, from a storyline perspective anyway.

How did Wolverine come to be? How the hell did he get those Adamantium claws. Well the movie does address all those details. But is any good?

Well it's good, but it's not great. It's nowhere close to great.The movie picks up from Logan's childhood and chronicles his life with his brother by his side... (Question here by the way.. Is Sabretooth his Brother? Or is it just another Animal like mutant?)

One cool thing about the movie is that it brings in some one of the classic X-Men characters in Gambit, played by Taylor Kitsch brings out the cool card shark who throws flaming cards at you if you piss him off.

If you are an X-Men fan, you will enjoy this movie. You will feel that Logan's life makes more sense, and also all those scenes in the previous movies with short flashbacks of his life start to make sense. Also, the action and special effects are really good as always.

If you don't know anything about X-Men lore, don't bother watching this movie. I really don't think you will enjoy it. Ask my wife.

This is a movie for those who've seen the cartoons, read the comics and always wondered how Wolverine got that way.

All in all I'd say the movie is 3 out of 5...

Star Trek - Review

2009-05-09T23:17:00.005-06:00

Well, I was waiting for it very eagerly for quite some time now. I was worried not sure what to expect. I've been a "Trekkie" from the time I was a kid, we used to watch the Star Trek episodes with William Shatner & Leonard Nemoy and the rest of the Enterprise crew... From there most us us got hooked to the Next Generation and it's crew.

Star Trek has been an epic saga of 3 Generations, Jim Kirk's & Jean Luke Picard's Enterprises and of course the prequel which was called "The Enterprise". I guess what made me so intrigued by this movie was that it was touching on turh which is really close to the original storyline. The characters were not some unknown new crews but the good old crew of the original enterprise with new actors playing the parts.

We all knew that Leonard Nemoy has a major part in this movie.. But no one knew why... Keep reading, I'll tell you.. But at your own risk.. :D

All I can say is that the movie is very well made and thouroghly enjoyable... It starts with a Romulan ship destroying a Federation ship captained by George Kirk and then chronicles the lives of Jim Kirk & Spock as they become members of the crew.

Chris Pine plays the role of Jim Kirk & Zachary Quinto plays Mr. Spock... Both of them do a excellent job of playing these roles with extremely similar charateristics that you have a tough time distingushing them from Will Shatner & Leo Nemoy.

Unfortunately I cannot go further on this story without telling you too much... So I'll stop here and say, Star Trek fan or not, go watch the movie.. It's really good fun..

Caution:THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS.

Ok so here's the deal.. Star Trek released 4 comics before the release of the the Star Trek movie, which are actually a prequel to it.

Spock is now an Federation Ambassador on Romulan and has brought peace between Romulus and Remus. They discover a star which is going Super nova and potentially destroying Romulus and the rest of the galaxy. A mining ship captained by a Romulan, Nero sees the way this star destorys a small moon near it and offers to help Spock in his quest to stop the star from destroying the Romulus.

He goes to Vulcan and with the help of another Federation Ambasador, Jean Luke Picard, tries to convince them to give him a sample of "Red Matter", a substance that can destroy the star without destroying the rest of the galaxy.

Spock gets a special ship made with the help of Jeordy and heads for Romulus. So, long story short.. They are too late..Romulus is destroyed.Federation ships are sent to help with the rescue, of course enterprise is one of them. Captained by, Data.

Nero in anguish over loosing his home world and family turns into a mad man and with his crew decide to destroy the federation world. Enterprise holds him off while Spock destroys the star, but eventually his Ship (which is now enhanced with some Borg adaptive sheilds) and Spock's ship are pulled into the worm hole that is formed by the destruction of the star..

Well, that's where the comics leave us and the movie begins

CAUTION : STOP HERE IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE YET!!!

So Nero's ship comes out on the other side of the worm hole to find a Starship with Kirk's father on board. It destroy's that ship and kill's his dad, The captain.

Jim Kirk & Spock grow up and eventually join the acadamy. Suddenly all the main cast most of whom are still cadets are pulled onto the Enterprise to stop Nero as he tries to destroy Vulcan.

Around this time, Spock from the future emerges in this time zone and is captured. Eventually Vulcan is destroyed.

So, the story is great, the rest of the galaxy is saved, the enterprise crew come together to begin their missions and the Future Spock stays back to help re build the world that was destroyed.

But here is where my questions begin..

If Nero destroyed Vulcan in the Past.. Then how does Spock go to Vulcan in the future to stop the Star from going Super Nova?

Of course even bigger question. So does this mean that the entire Star Trek series of the past is no longer valid. Because, with no Vulcan.. most of the storyline falls apart.

Of course if that were the case then there may not have been a Nero in the future who wanted to avenge Romulus' destruction, as he would not have had Spock to blame for it. And then the changes in the past could not have happened..

Well it's a flaw in the story in my opinion. You can't change the past without the future changing too.. It does not make sense.. Every Action has an Equal and Opposite Reaction.. That's Science..

Ok.. So, this has been an extremely geeky blog.. No excuses.. I'm a huge Star Trek fan. I was devastated to see Data killed in the Nemisis movie. Seeing him the comic was great. I knew they'd figure out a way to get him back... That's what the protype was there for anyway.. :)

All said and done.. Go see the movie.. It rocks, even with it's flaws...

4 Out of 5 for JJ Abram's STAR TREK.. Way to go.. for a side story in the long running Saga.

I'm Going Home

2009-01-22T14:44:00.003-06:00

This is the second time I'm going home from the States..

It's been just 8 months since my last trip.. But it feels like it's been ages..

This flight will be my last as Bachelor.. Here's to a new life with new experiences..

Hope things are better than ever..

:)

Cheers.. (Just a presonal blog..)

Rahul..

About RBlah

2009-01-01T00:00:00.006-06:00

Last Updated: Friday June 3rd 2011

Hello, Welcome to my Blog!

If this is your first time here and your wondering where you landed, read on...
Otherwise, enjoy yourself and please do leave some comments on your way out

Rahul's Blah - My Creative Outlet to the world

What is Rahul's Blah - My blog today is my creative outlet. It's just something that I do that's completely different from my day to day work. I'm a movie buff, a couch potato at times, so blogging about Movies and TV series just made sense.

You will find reviews to most recent movies or TV series. But If I thought the trailer sucked, be sure that I'm not going to watch or review it. I watch movies that I find interesting and my reviews are my honest opinion about them. On occasion I write about Cricket, if I find something that peaks my interest.

What the Heck are the other categories then? - These other categories in my blog are rarely updated. These were my contemplative moods when I just felt like writing. You might see some strange posts where I tend to ramble, I call these Random Musings. Don't worry though. I don't do too many of those posts anymore. If you find those bad, don't even read the Personal blogs... They were times when I wanted to vent or write about my life and the Blog seemed like a great outlet.

Who Am I? - Well I'm Rahul. I've been a blogger since 2005, since I got out of college and didn't have anything better to do (you can be sure none of my blogs these days sound remotely close to what you will read in my older blogs). I've always loved to write and my Blog has been a great retreat through the years. It's my creative outlet and just a way for me to get my thoughts out there.

I consider myself a fun loving, easy going guy. I love a good laugh and will do anything to see the next person laugh as well. I crack a few jokes, I act crazy, at the end of it if you have a smile on your face it's worth it. I'm in IT and work as a Technical Architect, but this blog has nothing to do with that side of my life. This is just fun, laughs and a good time.

Please browse, read some of the reviews, if you like them leave me some comments or drop by again.

My Favorite TV Shows
1. F.R.I.E.N.D.S
2. Any sitcom that can give me a laugh (Two and a half men, Frasier, Everybody Loves Raymond, Just Shoot Me, How I met your Mother... you name it, I've probably watched a couple of episodes)
3. Battlestar Galactica
4. AVATAR - The Last Air bender
5. Star Trek - Deep Space 9
6. Star Trek - The Next Generation
7. Star Trek - Voyager
8. Stargate Atlantis
9. Stargate SG-1
10. Heroes

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Rahul Murali Venkataraman

Location: Irving, Texas

Home Town: Chennai (Madras), India

Pages: facebook.com/rahulmv

Slumdog Millionaire - Review

2008-12-27T14:16:00.006-06:00

I decided to go watch this movie after hearing a few mixed reviews, some said they couldn't watch it, some said it was great. All things said and done, and knowing the theme of the movie, I went anyway.

The movie left me speechless...

Yes, It was good..
Yes, It was dramatic..
Yes, It portrayed a part of India, that we don't talk about.

But, I didn't know what to say.. There are not many movies that leave me this way..

The movie is about this boy Jamal, a slum dweller/beggar/thief in Bombay who goes on KBC and gets all the the way to the end.

The movie, revolves around a police investigation (yes, the normal Indian movie Police interrogation, full with the violence and beatings) which questions how an ill-literate boy from a Mumbai slum knew all the answers to the biggest of Indian quiz shows..

Using this medium, our protagonist takes us through his life, from the slums to the streets, gangs, whore houses and all the way to a call center as a chai-walla.

It shows us some of the harsh facts of life on the street in India, some things which we might conveniently want to ignore.

The movie would have definitely struck a cord with an Indian audience, But for the language. The movie is made in American English, with a few lines of Hindi thrown in for good measure.
What is does is two things though.. It creates a disconnect between the actors and the language, but it opens up the movie to the global audience.

(My Suggestion : Please remake this movie in Hindi, the exact same way.. Am sure it will be just as brilliant)

That's where I actually felt strange though.. This movie watched by people all around the world, some how causes me pain. I don't say what they say is far from the truth. But it's only one side of India... A few minutes showing the rest of the country may have helped alleviate this feeling, but might have taken the impact out of the story.

All in all, I'll say watch at your own risk. There are a few scenes not for the faint of heart. But I'll give it a 4 out of 5

Rahul.

PS : Kudos to the Young actors who played the roles of Jamal Malik(Ayush Khedekar), Lathika(Rubiana Ali) and Salim Malik(Azharuddin Ismail).. They were all brilliant

On The Offside There Is GOD...

2008-11-12T09:05:00.009-06:00

Many years ago, Rahul Dravid famously made the statement, "On The Offside, There is GOD, then there is Saurav Ganguly". This statement was reflective of the batsman whose smooth timing on the offside was better bar none. That was a phase of Saurav's career where he wasspoken about in the same breath as Sachin or Lara. Of course their careers have gone in different directions since, Saurav's career has been a colorful one.

I was planning this post ever since the day Saurav Ganguly announced his retirement, but I wanted to wait for his final innings to get a complete picture of the man. His retirement series was as colorful as the rest of his career, it showcased the Saurav of old, but with definite aspects of the man who came back to regain his place in the team and show that he is made from a harder metal than many made him out to be.

What defines this man? What makes him so special to us? Ganguly, Good Or Bad, has always managed to evoke a great deal of emotions from the Indian Fan.

He was the fluent opening bat who came to the middle with Sachin to create the most explosive opening partnerships of their times. It was a time in Indian cricket when you felt that if these two guys clicked, India would win, but were they to fall, that would be the end of the game, most of the time.
He was a spinners nightmare. Anyone who has seen Saurav in his prime, must have seen him waltz down the track and loft them out of the ground. He did it with such consistency and such grace that it was inevitable that if a spinner bowled when he was at the crease, he was going to get hammered.
The style of batting did not change from One Dayers to Test matches. He was the graceful and explosive middle order batsman, who brought some difference to a middle order filled with right hand batsman.
He was a useful military medium bowler who bowled those innocuous slow deliveries that every batsman felt he could whack him out the ground... but, landed up getting themselves out.

This was Saurav of the old, the man who was an integral part of the team in the '90s... But with the dawn of the new millennium the world came to see him in a all new light. This man, took over "arguably" one of the toughest jobs in the Cricketing world or maybe even all of sport. He took over the Captaincy of India. A time when fans were disgusted with the skeletons that were falling out of the closets of their cricketing superstars.

But for the new captain, who some where in his consciousness must have felt like a lamb to slaughter, took up the job and made the team his own. One might even say he took to it like a Duck takes to Water.. (Note : I know it sound ridiculous, and it's one line with two cliches, so forgive the puns. Ridiculous Sentence Intended!)

He took the team to the knockout trophy in Kenya and managed to go all the way to the finals. What Ganguly managed, weather he managed to win or otherwise, was to build a team with attitude, a team that went where no Indian team had gone before, a team that was not scared to tread on tradition and wanted to win at all cost. He infused the team with energy and brought out an aggressive streak that was always evident in his batting.

He took the team all round the world, he beat all comers (at least once). He made sure the tag of Tigers At Home and Bunnies Abroad was buried and the world just spoke of them as Team India. That was perhaps Ganguly's greatest achievement, he turned a bunch of talented individuals into a team. An image to this respect that stays in our mind was the huddle on the cricket ground at the fall of a wicket. They all get together to push one another on.

But, for all the good that was happening in the team, Ganguly's fortune changed. With a change in the team management came Greg Chappell. I guess there can be no talking about Ganguly without referring to Chappell. During the 2003-04 tour of Australia, Ganguly visited Chappell to get tips on improving his batting, that relationship evolved into a partnership that was supposed to take India to the next level, but landed up being a battle of the egos. They both lost that war. But Ganguly was the bigger loser, being stripped of his captaincy and losing place in the side. But in retrospect, that one year in the wilderness toughened him. He was no longer the fluent and hard hitting batsman of old, so he re-designed his game and became a gritty accumulator of runs. The new Ganguly was more consistent, more reliable and so much more calm. It was noticeable that this was not the man who bared this chest in the holiest of holy places in English Cricket .. Lords.

The new Ganguly reached the old heights, that his previous avatar had been touching on a consistent basis and at times he even surpassed them. The registered his first and only Double Century in Test Cricket and also notched up a century in front of his home crowd at the Eden Gardens.

All in all it was a career of 3 parts. One young man making is way in the game and turning heads. A gritty leader who was India's best Captain and the Hero re-invented who came back to reclaim his glory. In his captaincy, Saurav Ganguly had made the team his own, so much so that the team that we see today on the field and some of the guys we look to as our cricketing superstars were groomed by him, they are all His Boys. It was evident in his last test match, when Dhoni handed him the captaincy for the last 3 overs that, it was the place he felt most comfortable. At the top of the tree, as the leader. You could see the smile. The man who took Indian cricket to it's greatest heights only for him to fall to his lowest of lows was back at the top of the mountain and he was leaving the cricketing world, with his head held high, as the best Left Hand Batsman India has ever had, a legend in his own right and as the King of Kolkata and for a brief while, all of India.

Rahul.

Also Read : Writing A Cricket Eulogy

A YouTube Video to Watch - Scab

2008-10-19T15:23:00.006-06:00

I saw this You Tube Video on the You Tube Screening Room. Initially thought it was disgusting, but it was one of the most hilarious short movies..

Check it out below...

Kidnap - Movie Review

2008-10-05T03:31:00.004-06:00

Kidnap is the second movie for Imran Khan, Aamir Khan's nephew..
A movie that is radically different from the first one..
But, there are too many holes in this movie..

It's a Poor Plot with bad acting and basically without a story.
But, for some reason, I found the movie worth watching. It was not all bad. I don't know why..
Maybe it was Imran's acting at times. But I wont say it was a great performance.
Although, Sanjay Dutt's acting in this movie is abysmall. It's too artificial.
Minissha Lamba the girl who gets kidnapped is nothing more than eye candy..

None of the other performances are worth mentioning..

The one thing that allows you to watch the movie and I guess not get absolutely irritated is, despite the bad script and the unnecessary music, the fast pace of the movie.

I'd say this is a movie you can skip. If you really want to watch it. I'd say wait a while. I'm sure it'll be on TV soon..

It's a 2 out of 5.

Rahul

Rock On - Movie Review

2008-09-29T19:36:00.005-06:00

Rock On.

Rock On.

A movie about a band that had problems broke up and how each of the guys went their own separate ways.

It's a simple story about friendships and the various facets of human existence. At the end of the day it's a simple Hindi movie, with a very standard story line.What sets this movie apart though is it's sound track. It's amazing how Rock music fits in so perfectly in hindi music. Shankar Eahsaan and Loy have done a tremendous job.

There aren't any acting performances of note in this movie, most of the actors actually look very amateurish, but if I had to pick out one performance it will be of the lead, Farhan Akhtar.. Yeah the director turned actor, actually can act.. It's remarkable. After a long time in hindi cinema have I seen a actor, who does not have to look like a model. He looks like any other normal guy.

One thought that kept coming back into my mind when I was watching this movie though was, Arjun Rampal's mouchtach. I've not seen a worse stick on mouch even in school skits.. I'm sure they could have done a better job of making him look older.

All in all I'd say it's a time pass movie. If you have a free evening and don't know what to do, you could do worse than watch this movie. But no matter what you do, get the album if you are a fan of rock music. You like it after you hear it the first 2 or 3 times. It's really Rocking..

I'll give this movie.. 3.5 out of 5

Rahul..

A Wednesday - Movie Review

2008-09-29T11:05:00.010-06:00

Terrorism has become such a part and parcel of everyday life in India, that some of us has just learned to live with it.

A Wednesday, picks up on this thought and makes it into a good movie.

Unfortunately, elaborating on the storyline even a bit gives away the story.

The movie stars 2 stalwarts of Indian Cinema, Anupam Kher and Naseeruddin Shah who face off in a movie about a terrorist act that is gripping and conveys a very poignant message.

The rest of the cast includes, Aamir Bashir a everyday honest cop with a family and Jimmy Shergill who plays a cop who is never more than a few seconds away from bashing someone’s face in.

The only disappointment in the movie the is the acting of Deepal Shaw who plays the role of a TV Journalist, she seems very out of touch with reality and is very amateurish in her performance. I would even say it takes a bit of sheen off the entire show.

But on the whole it’s a brilliant movie that makes a statement on life in India today that is always in the grip of terror.

Kudos to the director and writer who made a good movie. I’d say on the whole 4 out of 5. Go watch it.

Rahul

Tropic Thunder - Movie Review

2008-09-29T10:05:00.011-06:00

Tropic Thunder

Better late than never review.

Well it’s been over a week since I saw this movie, and I know it’s quite old now.

But for those who have not seen it yet, here’s my review.

Topic Thunder is a plain old slapstick movie about a war movie. What makes the movie funny is plain and simple good acting. All the members of the cast have done an excellent Job. But for such a half baked script, the movie might have actually been amazing.

I know in such slapstick comedies there is really no need for a extraordinary script or exceptional acting.

There were three outstanding characters in this movie,

Ben Stiller : This comic actor plays the same goofy role everytime, but each and every time, does an excellent job. He plays a Sylvester Stallone like charater in this movie and some of the scenes leave you in splits.

Robert Downey Jr, plays the White guy who becomes black. But the character they are trying to portray I think… is Russell Crowe. He does an excellent job as a black man.. And the scenes with him and Brandon T. Jackson are hilarious.

Honestly, this is the first time I have seen Tom Cruise in a comic role. My God, he was sheer genius. He plays a Movie Mogul/Producer and does an amazing job. He looks like a much much fatter Ron Howard.

Jack Black, Jay Baruchel, Brandon T. Jackson and the rest play their parts, but at the end of the day the these guys owned the movie.

It’s a great way to spend a couple of hours. You’ll defiantly have a great laugh..

On the whole I’d say 4 out of 5.

Rahul

Mummy 3 - Review

2008-08-05T01:03:00.005-06:00

So I saw the Mummy - Tomb Of the Dragon Emperor on Friday.

The first thing that came to my mind was -

Oh my God! Why? Why? Why?

I really don't know why they made this movie.

The first two movies of the Mummy franchise were action packed and full of fun and wit all the way. This movie fails on all three aspects.

The plot is weak and the special effects are even worse.

This movie looks like a cheap rip off or a slapstick comedy of one of the older Mummy movies.

There is no Rachel Weisz in this movie. She is replaced by Maria Bello who tries a lot to act the part, but ends up overacting.

Brendon Frasier doesn't even try in this movie. He isn't the best actor under any circumstances. But in this movie, it almost looks like he is forced to be in the scene. He just does not fit the part of a middle aged man who is trying to show the love for his 20 something son(Luke Ford). Infact, he and his son, almost look the same age. Come on guys. Spend some money and at least make Brendon look a little older.

Both Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh try and bring something to their characters, but it is nowhere close to enough.

Both of them have talent. They shouldn't waste time on movies such as this.
Or at least stick to the Chinese Kung-Fu movies. [:D]

Nothing in this movie fits.

Overall, it is a disaster. It looks like an under budgeted waste of time and money.

Take my advice. Don't waste your time watching this movie. Rent part 1 and part 2 and watch them again.

Rahul.

Relationships. Perspectives. Life.

2008-08-05T00:45:00.002-06:00

What's Life?

Life is nothing but a convoluted series of relationships, perspectives and experiences that a person has during his or her existence in this world.

I have asked this question so many times. Every time I ask this question, I am either sad or contemplative. I have not once asked this question when I am happy or things are going well.
I guess it is the nature of human existence. We look back and question things in life only when we aren't completely satisfied or we feel something is missing in life.

What are the relationships that define your life? What the the relationships that make you happy or excited. Is it when you are talking to you special someone? Is it when your boss appreciates the work that you do? Or is it when you are with your family and friends and things just feel so comfortable. I guess, it's all of them. When they all add up, Life feels full and happy and fulfilled. I guess that is when they say the Sum of the parts is bigger than the whole.

So, what happens when one part goes missing, or is difficult to find? Do you look for that one part? Try and find out what it is that is you need to make you happy? Or compensate with the things that you have now in your life?

I guess it all depends on your overall state of mind. If you are happy and confident you go out and find that one or more things and make your life fulfilled. Or at times, you just go on the way you are, If you are not confident and you don't have the drive. That is when you get into a rut.

Live Life, find your missing pieces.. There will always be more to find. The more you do, the longer you keep the pieces you have in place intact, the better each day will be.

Guys - I know this blog is extremely abstract. It's just a pick me up. If you feel you need one. I hope this helps.

Rahul

Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na

2008-07-22T19:02:00.005-06:00

Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na..

Although this movie has a story story telling style that is eerily similar to Forget Paris.
The stories arn't really that similar. The movie is a nice sweet love story. But what makes this movie stand out is the way it is made.

The movie introduces Imran Khan (Aamir Khan's nephew) in the lead role as Jai Singh Rathore who is the son of a Human Rights activist mother and a Warrior father. He along with Genelia D'Souza make a wonderful pairing and are polar opposites. The movie is driven on their story and on the relationship. They are the best of friends and are inseparable. Everyone thinks they are in love. But they reveal they are the best of friends and nothing more.

Ofcourse it wouldn't be a love story if they don't fall in love now, would it? Well the story keeps you interested throughout with a really funny storyline. You should be in splits for most of the movie.

The music in this movie is outstanding. Even if you don't really care for a funny love story, you should watch this movie for an amazing soundtrack.

I'll give this movie 2 thumbs up and will call it a must watch.

Another win for Aamir Khan. The reason his movies seem to succeed is because he picks the stories very carefully. Congrats Aamir.

And his nephew? How is he in his debut role? Well he is good. In a few scenes he looks and gives you the feeling of a young Aamir Khan. Hope his next role lives up to the hype as well.

Cheers..
Watch the movie
Rahul

The Dark Knight

2008-07-20T21:07:00.007-06:00

The Dark Knight.. The sequel to the The Batman Begins.

If you have not seen Batman Begins, I suggest you see it first and then watch this movie, It will make a lot more sense. Because this movie picks up where the last one left off.

The Batman franchise has been a very candy floss kind of movie before this latest incarnation of the caped crusader came onto the big screen. This movie has completed re-written the way a batman movie should be made. It puts a much larger emphasis on the story and characters than on the gadgets and jumping off buildings.

I'm not saying that those things are not in these movies, but they are not all that is there in them.

The first movie ended with Wayne Manor being burned to the ground so in this movie you see Bruce Wayne living in a swanky Penthouse in Gotham City. The city looks a lot more like a modern metropolis than before, in fact looks a lot like New York or Chicago. And the Bat cave? It's replaced with an underground basement in the middle of the city.

The Joker played by Heath Ledger is a psychotic and intense super villain who is incredible in his last role. This is the first time any Joker has actually scared people with his performance.

I wasn't too sure if I liked Christian Bale as Batman in the first movie. By the end of the first movie, he started making a believer of me and in this movie, I couldn't think of a better man in the part. He looks and acts the part in both his incarnations.

This movie has a lot of wit and is well made. Although it is a bit long, it continues on it's story and shows the evolution of Batman.

Another character of note in this movie is Harvey Dent/Two Face. His fall from grace as the Hero of Gotham to the demented Two Face is very well scripted. Although this movie does not do enough justice to the comic book character by cutting his role so short.

Aaron Eckhart does the character justice by showing both sides of this man. He actually makes you feel for this guy who has lost everything and is driven to take revenge.

In another movie, or in a different setting, people might actually cheer this guy on. (Of course, it's not justified)

But well, they had to end the movie some how, and the way they do it, leaves the audience wanting much much more of this New Caped Crusader. the Dark Knight.

All in all, I'd say this movie is a must watch for any one who likes a story that keeps them gripped, and if any comic book fan misses the movie.. Don't call your self a fan anymore.

The movie is Brilliant.

Another Year.. Another Birthday

2008-07-20T20:56:00.002-06:00

Hi Guys..

Been a few months since I've blogged.. Work's been a killer and well frankly, I have not had much to Blog about. Where are those days where I used to write almost every week.

Anyway, I had my birthday yesterday. I don't know, Didn't really feel like a birthday, Felt like any other normal day. Got up at 11 and went for a long drive in my car.. Oh yeah.. I never did mention that on my Blog. I bought my first Car.. A 2001 Honda Civic.. It's a cool car.. Silver Gray and looks clean.. Anyhow, the drive was cool.. Just drove around Dallas and came home. So, when I told my rommie's that it was my birthday the looks on their faces was something to behold. Nothing to really say.. [:)] ..

So that was my day.. And then hit the sack in the night so that I could work the next day..

Wow what a birthday.. [:P] .. (For those who don't realize it.. I'm being sarcastic) Where are those days where I was surrounded by my friends and the day just felt so damn special.

This was the last birthday of my Bachelorhood.. The next time I have a birthday I'll be a married man with Presi by my side.. [:)]..

Hey that's the first time I'm using her name in my Blog I think.. All these years it's been My better half, my love or my girlfriend.. [:)]..

So by the way, I started my Birthday with "Batman - The Dark Knight". I'll be reviewing the movie shortly.. Look out for that..

Cheers
Have a great time..
And thanks for reading..

Rahul..

Changing Life.. A Very Personal Blog.

2008-05-25T20:31:00.003-06:00

Well. I'm looking forward to the rest of my life. Most of you who have read my blog, or those who know me know that I have been in a relationship with my better half for almost 4 years now. Both of us are going to take the next step soon and tie the knot. To be honest before the talks began, I was nervous about that phase of my life, but the day it became official, I felt it was the most natural thing to happen... I was so happy when things started falling in place. This blog, is just me trying to put the big smile on my face into words.

Looking back on my life, I have gone through a lot over the last 8 years, I have completely changed as a person. The once introverted, nervous, awkward guy who had no self confidence, one who did not know what he wanted to do with the rest of his life has changed into a very different person. I feel I'm more confident in what I do, although I'm still a bit awkward, I atleast more comfortable with me as a person. I never knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, careerwise.. I don't think I still know. But, I like what I do. I like taking the challenges on. I always wanted to write and I think this Blog, however infrequent it maybe, gives the outlet to the artistic urge.

When she came into my life, I was at a crossroads, I might have become a loner again, or got knows what.. But, what actually ensued was the most wonderful time of my life. We have been through a lot together, and have grown up together and now finally, We move our relationship one step further.. And the date is now fixed for the rest of our lives together to begin.

I've changed and grown a lot over the last few years, from a boy who was drifting aimlessly to a man who is able to envision the rest of his life together with the girl he loves.

Cheers..

Rahul

Blog on : 11th April 2008. Posting it only today.

2008-04-28T17:22:00.001-06:00

Loneliness is a strange feeling.

It’s been a year since I left home. A year since I started this new life, this new phase of my career. But this year has brought with it a lot of hurt as well. But, I have also had the opportunity to grow as a person, to find my confidence again, to become an independent man. I’m writing this while I’m in the aircraft going home, Yipee Yahoo.. Finally..

I never did think that this would be so hard on me. Walking into a restaurant alone. Eating alone, living each day with a longing to call her again. I don’t know if she felt te same, the loneliness, I mean.. I was hard on her, I know that. I really don’t know what these few weeks have in store for me.

My parents are completing a Quarter Century together. Wow. Through it all they have held on. To tell the truth, I was scared to leave home. I was so scared. I thought there was nothing left there for them. I’m so happy I’ve been proved wrong. I’m so happy they are still with each other.

My sister is getting married. Wow, it’s been such a long time. Time flies by. I’ve known her now for over 6 years. She is one of the most important people to me in this world and is more family to me than anyone else around. The way she talks, the way she laughs, the way she listens, it’s a friendship beyond compare. She’s always been there for me. Through the thick and the thin.

But when I feel lonely, it’s mostly because of her. The girl whose eyes captivated me the day I looked at her. The one, who by her shear presence in my life, makes it more lovely. Our relationship has gone very specific phases, the year of friendship and courtship, the year we professed our love, the year we told our parents and the year I left home. It pains me that I put her through this, I find it very difficult to put in words my feeling for her. She is a friend, a confidant, a love, a hope, a beauty, my drive, really don’t know. What I do know is that I want to meet her and rekindle the flames that have been put on Ice by this year away.

Quotable Quotes..

2008-03-29T19:04:00.002-06:00

"You are Not Delegating Enough, If all the questions you get asked are easy for you to answer!"

Courtesy : Paul M. Ingevaldson (Retd. CIO at Ace Hardware Corp.)

Full screen flash problem

2008-03-22T22:04:00.002-06:00

Not Sure, How many of you have had this problem...

But, Here is the solution...

Off late I have this problem with every online flash based video player. If I try to run the video in full screen it just show up blank. The audio was fine but no video. I finally got off my laziness and googled it. I got a very simple solution with works from the site VistaX64.com:

1. Right-click in the standard youtube video window (non-full
screen).
2. Choose 'Settings...' from the Flash Player's pop-up menu.
3. Uncheck the 'Enable Hardware Acceleration'
4. Click 'Close'.

Thanks freethinker for the solution.

What makes Us So Special?

2008-03-16T14:20:00.003-06:00

Really general question. What I am trying to ask is,

"What makes us Human?"

We feel. That's what makes s human. And I don't mean the 5 senses. I mean, something more. Something only we can feel. Emotion.

"It's What makes us Human?"

Emotion is something you feel every moment of your life. You feel, Happy, Sad, Content, Haughty, Humble, Angry, Upset, Numb, In Love.. Emotion is such a strong feeling.

I would go so far as to say the only reason we do things in life is to feel the good emotions and keep away the bad. Think about it, when you feel angry or sad, won't you do anything for that feeling to go away.

When you are in love, won't you do anything to make sure it lasts forever. Because it brings you indescribable happiness.

As a species, I feel we all live life to experience our emotions.

You walk down a road one day and just look around you. The number of emotions you will see will be so numerous, I'm sure you ill catch yourself wondering when was the last time you felt that particular emotion.

If you are wondering how you can find so many emotions, It's easy! Look into their eyes. All the answers to what someone is feeling or thinking is right there. You will never know what they are thinking, but you can get an idea of how they are feeling.

Live your life. Experience all your emotions. Good or Bad, Happy or Sad, They all make you who you are!

Rahul..

Just A Month to Go! :)

2008-03-14T09:05:00.002-06:00

I'll be going home... In one month's time..

I'm really looking forward to my vacation. It's been a year since I left and I am excited to be going home for a holiday. I missed my family, friends and my esp. my special someone. Never did think one year ago that I would miss them so much.

I know now, why they say. "There's No Place Like Home"

Many a person has asked me if there a special occasion for me going home now. Well, all I say is, I hope so. It's been almost 4 years since this phase of my life started, and I think it's time to take it to the next level. Also, it's my parents 25th wedding anniversary. So, I had to be home for that.

I am really looking forward to April 11th, the day I go home.

PS : Just a personal Blog. If it sounds cryptic, well that's the way I wanted it to be. If you know me, you know what I am talking about. :)

Have a great weekend

Rahul

Inspiration and Living your life.

2008-02-27T13:45:00.004-06:00

Just a few hours ago, I was thinking, it has been such a long time since I have written something inspirational, or something that actually meant anything. We I don't think I am going to do that today. But what I am doing is putting up this video. There is this lecturer in Carnegie Melon University called Randy Pausch. He has been diagnosed with cancer and is terminally ill. But despite that, hiis outlook on life and the way he carries himself is really mind blowing. The below video is a 70 something minute lecture that he gave at his university. It's not a technical lecture, rather it's a lecture about life. I found it really interesting and inspirational.

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture. How to live your life. To achieve your childhood dreams :

This was quite a lecture. I also went to the Alice website and read up on it. Of course for me today, Alice would not be a useful tool. But definitely a few years ago when I was learning Java and all the various programming languages it would have been a wonderful tool. I guess it would want you to start coding.

Today after working in a production environment for over 2 and a half years I look at project development in a very different light compared to when I started down this road. I used to think, Coding was a nightmare. Never did have the confidence that I could do something like that. I thought, you'd need to know all there is in the language and you need to be a technical genius and just rattle out code as fast as you could. As time as has gone by I have realized more the value of analysis and the understanding the needs of the application. It more a matter of thinking logically than about coding. I don't have an exceptionally vast skill set, but it has developed to a reasonable extent over the passing time. I guess work experience does change the perspective a bit. I never really thought about this until I wrote it down today. But it does feel good.

Kudos to Alice and their creators and a heartfelt thank you to Dr. Pausch for the lecture. It was worth listening to, was great.

Happy New year - About me I guess.

2008-01-17T23:48:00.000-06:00

Well Hello 2008.. Hope you have a lot of good stuff in store for everyone this year..

This blog is just 'caus, it has been quite a long time since I said anything much n my blog. I have been going to Work, coming home, cooking, eating, watching videos and sleeping. But all it took was a few days without talking to a certain someone for me to realize how much those few minutes matter to me. They take me through a whole day. And now that have made my plans to fly home for a couple of weeks in April, everyday has become a counter of when I am back in Chennai and see the people I love.

I guess it gives me strength talking the people I love.. Re energizes me!!

I have always been a home-body a person who feels most at home, most complete when I am with the people I love and the people I care for.. I am full of life and am at my best when I know who I am. My life is so simple, atleast it appears so. But I guess it's quite simple.. I am all about giving my all to everything I do. Love or work. What you see is what you get. At times maybe people feel I am over enthusiastic.. I feel that sometimes myself, but I think it's better being that way, instead of being negative of the day and the work ahead of you. Doing it with love gives you the ability to do it well. That's what I think anyway.

Well a beautiful song to cap off how I am feeling right now..

Chill out........

Rahul

Mood : Missing someone..

Happy New Year Everyone..

2008-01-01T23:49:00.000-06:00

I Know many of my blogs have dealt with how I feel Chennai rocks compared to Irving.. But really have had a lot of good times here, So I made this video chronicling all the birthday celebrations that we have had here.. They are some good times, so I thought I'd blog share it on my blog as well..

2007 Was good.. Hopefully 2008 will be great

Rahul

Taare Zameen Par.

2007-12-30T20:57:00.001-06:00

This movie, the way it was taken just took my breath away. The story is fabulous, it touches your heart so much that you leave the movie with a lot of things going through your head and a lot of emotion in your heart.

Hats off to Aamir Khan for not making any movie that comes his way. This movie deserves all the accolades possible. But, the real star of the movie was that young kid, Darsheel Safary. What a brilliant portrayal by him, he makes you smile and cry at the drop of a hat..

If you have not seen this movie yet please go out and watch it. It's fantastic.. Don't look for some dramatic story or any high flying action. Just appreciate the message that they are trying to convey. It's beautiful...

Rahul..

Probably my last blog of the year.. -- Random Musing

2007-12-30T20:43:00.000-06:00

Hmm..

Well I've been quite moody lately.. Don't know what's going on but, well have been snapping at people more than normal... Have been a lot more on edge.. Well, I guess it happens from time to time...

There are times when I feel a lot less moody and am quite Sociable, this is one of those moments I guess, 'caus I'm taking the time to write this blog.. There have been a few people I have snapped at over the last few days.. Not really their fault.. I've noticed one fact about me when I'm in this state.. I either tend to get a lot of work done or do absolutely nothing, just sleep.. Man, I'm a guy of extremes..

Well the New year is on our head.. I started this year with a huge revelation to my folks and a few weeks of sheer torture before the dust started to settle and there was not hiding anymore.. But then before I knew it I was on a flight to the US of A. To a new world with new experiences and well, I'm not really embarrassed to say it but, yeah, I did shed a few tears on that flight, in that airport.. I was leaving behind everyone in my life who meant anything to me.. If you read my blog you know by now who I am talking about.. My family.. My girl, my sis, my folks and a few close friends.. I don't know, feels like I've been here so long, but it's just been 8 1/2 months...

I thought I'd adjust to this world quite easily.. Little did I realize just how much I would miss a certain someone.. Well, thank God for calling cards.. They are a life saver... And now, all I am looking forward to is April, when I go home for 2 weeks to see everyone and to name certain relationships and etch them in stone forever and ever.

Well world.. Wish your 2007 was fruitful.. Hope 2008 is a great year.. Happy New Year!

Chill and Take care..

Rahul..

Google Brain

2007-12-19T22:11:00.000-06:00

Watch this short Vid, quite funny..

:)

http://blogoscoped.com/videos/googlebrain.wmv

Rahul

Why watch movies?

2007-12-09T19:54:00.000-06:00

Why do we watch movies? Why do we spend 2 hours watching fiction?

Different people have different reasons... Well most just like to spend a few hours lost in a fictional world marveling in the wonders of story telling.

There are those of us who enjoy seeing things blown up or watching movies about wars or maybe just mindless killing.

But honestly, which are the movies that really touch your heart. They are the movies about Human interaction, movies about relationships, Good or bad, the way the relationships are portrayed are what capture our imagination.

I love watching movies about the human spirit, or movies about relationships, I admit that movies about love capture my imagination more than others because I find them easier to relate to... But a movie good when I pulls you in and makes you feel a part of the story or makes it easy for you to find your story in the movie.

There are so many times when I watch a movie where there are scenes that I think were so wonderful, seems just like me and my girl. But that's just me..

I still enjoy a movie that makes you laugh from start to finish, those movies are meant to forget your troubles for a few hours and just be lost in the moment.

But movies and the stories they convey are more than just entertainment at times, they can be quite therapeutic if they make you laugh, cry or remember your emotions for a few hours they make you whole again in this hard nosed corporate world.

Well that's my opinion anyway..

PS. If you are wondering.. Yes, I wrote this blog just after watching a movie...

Rahul...

QuarterLife, Afterworld, YouTube, MySpace..

2007-11-21T01:04:00.000-06:00

Do you really need a TV anymore? Real life, Semi professional or semi amateur videos, blogs all these things seem so much more real and interesting than anything I have seen on television.

Any way just a quick blog before I hit the sack.

Found this new series online, seems to be quite cool, check it out if you get the chance, looks like it's about the confused life of our generation. Seems fun and real all at once.

Website : http://www.quarterlife.com/

You Tube Trailer :

Anyway these series, give me something to do online.. :) .. Afterworld a cool concept, if you have not seen it yet check out my previous post on it. It's into Season 3 now..

Rahul

Generations - The Eternal Conflict

2007-11-20T22:53:00.000-06:00

Many years ago I drew this picture...

This picture symbolizes the eternal conflict I have with my Dad. Well It's not a picture to say we don't get along. I guess it is one which says we always have different points of view.

As a child, I grew up in awe of my Dad, he is a brilliant man, someone whom anyone can look up to. Seeing my dad come up in his career, well that story is inspirational.

I have never wanted to enter my father's chosen career path, I have not wanted that life, but one thing that I do want to be like him is the work ethic, the way he has come up in life, with his own two hands. I want that for me too. I never really knew what I wanted to do with my life.. Maybe I still don't, But I have now reached a stage where I feel like I enjoy what I do, my job, though it may have it's ups and downs, though it may have the occasional day when I wonder what the hell is this. I really love it, and there is one thing that my dad taught me. Put in an honest day's work, when you put your head on the pillow in the night, if you have you will sleep well.

Over the years as I have grown up. I am in the 24th year of my life. I am no child any more. No one would say that. But some where, at some level, the fear of my father still exists. The eternal need for his approval, wanting to prove to him that I am capable of making something of myself.

Well, I am not sure if I am anywhere close to the goal of proving to him that I am capable, and that I can take good decisions in my life and in my own way be a success one day. But, I feel, I am at a stage where I should be able to talk to him openly about what I feel, what I want from my life, because, at the end of the day it is my life.. I need to live by my choices, Right or Wrong, mine to make.

This fear, so deep seeded that anything I ever wanted to tell my dad was through a letter, I never could speak to him. My weapon has been silence, I have used it so many times in my life, it comes to me too naturally. Silence though is wrong. the Silent form of protest is torture for the ones you love. I guess even though when I put my hand on a keyboard or a pen the words flow through, the conversations that matter never seem to leave my lips.
I'm no child anymore, I'm in love, i have been for many years now, I'm working, I'm a professional, I respect people I work with and I get the same in return as well. But, in front of Dad, I still sometimes feel like a child, and sometimes still throw my silent tantrum.

Well the reason I started writing this blog was to tell myself a few things. I'm not a kid anymore and I should stand up and say what I feel. I respect and admire my Dad a lot for what he has achieved in his life, but that is no reason for me to be scared of him. It's my life, I have to live it, and maybe make some of my own mistakes.

But, this blog has ended up more as a very personal account of my relationship with my father. A man I love, respect and admire, a man I need to learn not to fear, but to trust. I love my dad, I don't say it very often, It's true. This is a really new blog for me, never have I spoken about how I feel when I comes to my parents. They are my world.

Rahul.

Keep 'em Close.

2007-11-12T02:48:00.000-06:00

Ever wondered how important friends are? How they impact our lives? What our lives would be without them in it.

I guess we all know the importance of those precious few. Those friends whom we never lose touch with no matter where we go.

What about the rest. The ones you have had a good time with or a short friendship with at some point in your life.. Most of us don't really bother to keep in touch with them too much.

I was really taken aback by my attitude in this regard when one of my friends. He and I have been friends from longer than I can remember, but as time went on our lives took different paths and we lost touch. It did not really matter to me if I knew where he was or how he was doing. But then one day we met for Lunch and I felt,

"Well it's not right, to take any friendship lightly or brush it aside. No matter how close or how far you are, No matter how well or how little you know each other. A friend is a friend is a friend. Even if you don't make an effort to keep in touch, don't push your friends away".

I guess Orkut helps a lot a us in this regard. Helps me atleast say the occasional Hi to a friend I have not met in a while. Or catch up with a close friend I have not had the chance to talk to.. Or to just reminisce with friends I met just a day earlier.

The point is, no matter how.

Friends are important. Keep them close. If nothing else, they can bring a smile to your face.

Rahul...

Pick Me Up..

2007-11-07T00:22:00.000-06:00

Over the years, when I've felt really down in the dumps, when I've felt really confused.. Not really sure what life is about or what I'm doing with mine, there has been one song that has lit up my day and brought a smile to my face.

Through these years I have been very possessive about this song. I have let only a few of my close friends and some of my relatives listen to it while I tell them what it means to me. I know that sounds silly. How can you be possessive about a published lyric, a song that's not yours. But this song, is a story of most of our lives. There are parts of this song we can all relate to. I felt today that this is something everyone should listen to a few times in their lives. So what I am doing here is 2 fold.

This is the song :

These are the lyrics (These are from my friends Blog, Natty) :

http://ennangal-ezhuthanal.blogspot.com/2007/10/well-make-it-through.html

If ever you feel down or you feel you don't know where your life is headed, don't fret, all of us go through that from time to time. Me well I feel it quite often.

This song delivers a few truths in a manner that you would actually listen. But my advice. If you really want the most out of this song. SING ALONG. You'll pick up the lyrics on this one faster than you can imagine.

Trust me on this one. This song is a must hear for everyone. At least twice.

Rahul ..

Rahul's Blah - Really Don't Know what to Call this Blog... Too Many things in One..

2007-10-28T12:20:00.000-06:00

Topics in my blog have ranged from the Mundane to the Thought provoking to the Really Really Personal.

I have been an on and off blogger for over two years now. When I discovered this medium of communication, I found for myself an outlet to one of my favorite pass times. I love to write. No matter what it is about. The subject matter more often than not has reflected my mood at the current time. Of course I know my writing at times seems to ramble on with out getting to the point, but that has more to do with the flow of thoughts in my mind than the actual inability to write.

Over the years I must have tried to maintain a diary (Unsuccessfully) documenting the tings that have happened in my life. I used to write in my diary for a few weeks or a best months and then I would slack off and completely forget that I ever had one. Then sometime down the road the urge would be back to write, to log my thoughts and feelings and it would be back a New diary with new new events.

This stop and start nature has continued with my blog as well. But it has been the longest I have ever kept up with anything to do with writing that I have started.
Blogging in a sense gives me this strange kind of release where I know I might be read one day or the next and it not being written for no one to ever see again.

The possibility is always there that what I have written gets read by those close to me and they know what I am feeling and how I am doing. I remember one such blog that provoked quite a strong reaction once.

But then I have to say, Rahul on the blog world is Anonymous, on most occasions Posts here are not things I discuss while I am not on my blog. In a sense it is a release a way for me to share my thoughts and feelings.

I love comments, I love responses. I like most people like to know that others read my blog. But like most journals, my online journal seems to be quite repetitive in a sense. Moods and feelings that come and go, when documented all seem to similar.

Although I have been blogging for a long time now, I have started reading blogs only off late. I find that a lot of us find that our blogs give us the easiest ways to vent our feelings. Not too many of us actually publicize our blogs, of course we make it known that we have one and it is open for all to see. Reading certain blogs at times makes me feel so close to friends I have not met in a long time or even those that I do not know very well. I has reinforced a lot of friendships for me.

The frequency of my blogs has increased exponentially since I have come to U.S.A. Well I guess the reason for that is quite simple. I was surrounded by the people I love back home and other than the odd instance or thought that really captured my imagination that I felt needed to be blogged I hardly ever did. I would start of every 3rd or 4th blog with . Wow it's been a while... But here, it is my way to keep in touch with friends and family, for people I know to hear my thoughts and perhaps hear my voice in these words.

Sentimental I know, but that's who I am a Cancerian through and through, I an really attached to my love, my family and my friends. Keeping in touch has never seemed out of my mind.

Today I am blogging only because I wanted to write. I put my fingers on the keyboard and what ever is coming out is from my heart. I know it is tough to give this particular blog a subject as it seems to cover a whole gambit of thoughts. Well I guess it's all about Rahul's Blah...

Not Really A Blog - Just 2 Points of View.

2007-10-21T18:00:00.000-06:00

Well my friend just put up a blog. Made sense in a way. And well provoked me to comment.
Comment is long enough for a blog, but I don't want to take the credit away from his blog. So Just the link to the Blog.

http://viswajithandharry.blogspot.com/2007/10/dollar-bug.html

Interesting thoughts Vishwa..

Rahul......

"As we forgive those who trespass against us."

2007-10-05T21:14:00.002-06:00

This line is from a prayer that many of us might have said every day for years. (I did for 14 years)
It's a line where we ask God to forgive our sins the way we forgive the sins of others.

Have you ever thought about what it means. What it is to hold a grudge? How it is to will someone ill.
Would we ever be able to live with ourselves if what we wish comes true?

I don't think there is a single person in this world who is evil. There are different points of view. There might be a few people who might do harm to another but they are another story. I am talking about the anyone who is mentally well and has no murderous instincts. This blog is about Love, Hate, Being a good person. I started with a line from that Prayer as i felt it was an apt way to convey a message.

I'm not going to reiterate that message now. Maybe I will later, for now, let's get to the point.

All of us at sometime or the other in our lives would have been hurt by someone. Instinctually we wish that something bad happens to that person. It's something that comes to all of us at that instant. But how far can that hate go? And whom does that hate hurt more?

I can state for a fact if will hurt you more internally than it would ever hurt the person you are hating!

There are occasions where that person does it knowingly to payback something you did or maybe did not do.Or there might be times it might be a provocation. The worst and the most common of all is when we are hurt by someone we love. Someone we care about. We are hurt to such an extent that the pain, the anger and the hate boil up and hurt us more..

So what do we do? Hate back? Hurt Back? I don't think that's the way to go! Well I'm not going to be all spiritual and say Turn the other cheek. It's an option, but in the short term you can try and fix the problem, or you can walk away from the pain.

But as the anger subsides and only the pain remains, try the magic cure.. Try and forgive. It will give you more happiness to forgive and forget the pain than to hold it up inside. Think of the good times and smile. Maybe your relationship with that person may mend, maybe it will never be the same again. Either way, you will be a better person for it. It may take time for this forgiveness to happen, but when it does you feel better.

I have in my own life tried what i am writing here today. And I can say it works.

Be a good person. Don't wish anyone harm. Life's too short for all that. Just be the best you can be, to yourself, your family, your wife, your girlfriend, your best friend, your neighbor, your ex, who ever.. Anyone you encounter. Give them a smile, It might brighten up their day, but it will certainly work wonders on yours.

Rahul......

An Ode to My Love

2007-10-04T21:38:00.001-06:00

When She cries, the heavens cry too.

When She's sad, my heart breaks in two.

Her sadness brings pain to my heart.

To make her smile becomes a purpose for me.

I try and I try till my tongue and my eyes can say no more,

But but her eyes say more with every tear than my words can ever say.

I wish I had the power to take away all her sadness and replace it with Joy.

I wish I had the power to make her smile.

To see her smile makes my day, to hear her laugh would take my breath away.

I wish for her to be happy always. To be the best that she can be and make my days for eternity.

Hello World

2007-10-03T11:58:00.000-06:00

This is the most common first program that anyone learning a new software writes..

It's an initiation into the language and the structure of that language..

BUT.......

This blog is not about Software..

It's about Me.

A bored Software Engineer who just felt like saying "Hello World".

So What's been happening in my life...

Well nothing much really.. I was insanely busy over the last month and frankly I couldn't think of anything to write about. But now I am sitting idle.. I'm in between assignments and I felt it is the right time to write a blog...

I never did realize how working becomes a part and parcel of your day to day activities..

It's only when you sit back and have nothing to do for a few days do you realize how cool it is to go to work everyday and do something all day long..

Not giving your self more than a few minutes every now and again to relax and just spending the day with colleagues/co-workers and friends..

I guess enjoy work or not.. We all love Work at some level. There is no way we can get through day after day if we did not. I we don't like what we do, we learn to like it.. Well I never did think when I started out on this line of work that I would like it at all. Now 2 years down the line.. When I get my first chance to sit back and think about it I realize that I actually enjoy the challenge. Be it the coding, be it the calls, be it the design sessions.. I enjoy it all.. We all somewhere along the way find something that we love in our jobs even if there is a lot that we hate..

I never pictured myself as a guy who would be singing the praises about working. But well I guess I surprise myself at times..

Chill Guys...

Cya..

AfterWorld.. Where will you be after the Fall.

2007-09-16T22:04:00.000-06:00

Check Out Afterworld..

It's a new Online series..

It's an interesting concept.. What would happen to the world if 99% of the population disappeared and technology became non existent..

There are videos and a journal which tracks the protagonist's life.. His Name is Russel Shoemaker. Seems to be a normal guy trying to make the best.

The series is of to a solid start and I hope to continues in the same vein.

A nice combination of Anime and Story.. The only thing that I can say is a little frustrating is the length of the episodes..

They are just too Short... Just as u start getting into it it's over..

Take my advice..

Pace your self.. Don't see all the old episodes on one day if you are new to the series..

You'll have to wait for a new one to come out every day..

:)

Anyway, Hope you like it.. I find it fun...

the URL is : http://www.afterworld.tv

I guess the videos are uploaded on YouTube as well the Channel is called AfterworldTV..

Enjoy..

Rahul

Friends...

2007-08-25T20:27:00.001-06:00

There are so many people, who touch your life in so many different ways,

When you sit back and think about it..

It makes your day..

The friends through the years, the friends who where there when you needed one..

The friends who are in different parts of the world now but their friendship and memory still brings a smile to your face..

They are your friends..

They are priceless..

This blog is dedicated to Friendship...

Treasure your friends..

They will be there for you even when they are not around..

Sit back and think for a while...

Remember your friends...

Remember your times together...

Here's to Friendship

Rahul...

Congratualtions Team India

2007-08-13T13:49:00.000-06:00

Well That's a Test Series Win For India.. And what do you know, Anil Kumble scored a century.

Well it's been a while coming, they have started winning matches and recently series overseas and we have started expecting it more and more from them, especially from teams we feel they are equally matched against.

Congrats Team India, That's an impressive win.

Rahul..

A Thought

2007-08-12T16:13:00.001-06:00

Whatever you do in life... Give it your Best Shot...

To give it you best shot, you should really want to..

Love what you do and it will turn out well..

And....

You will love doing it.

Just a thought...

(This applies to anything you do I guess.. Not just your Job.)

Rahul

A Personal Congratulations to Rahul's Blah

2007-08-11T10:39:00.000-06:00

Well Almost 2 Years old

Next month it will be.

I started Blogging on 2nd September 2005.

My Previous blog was supposed to contain this congratulatory message to Me.

Considering my 50th Blog has been a long time coming.

I have started and scrapped a lot of blogs over the last few weeks and months, I guess it was writers block or maybe it was just being lazy and/or tired.

Anyway congrats on your GOLDEN JUBILEE.

Rahul

OBITUARY

2007-08-10T13:46:00.000-06:00

I regret to Inform you that the Live cricket scores that were once available on this Site are no more.

The Source feed seems to be dead.

Here is the link to the Grand Inauguration that we had for the feature

"Cricket On Rahul Blah"

So I felt it is fitting to give it a similar end, with a blog to mourn the Cancellation of the feature.

Who knows, if a new feed shows up somewhere, We might have cricket on Rahul Blah after all.

Regards.

Rahul

Blogging. What it means and Why we do it.

2007-08-10T13:00:00.001-06:00

Hmm..

Wiki Defines A Blog as :

A blog (a portmanteau of web log) is a website where entries are written in chronological order and commonly displayed in reverse chronological order. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.

Strange topic to talk about on a blog. I notice a lot of my friends have blogs of their own. Well I guess for each of us it is either a passing fancy to have a blog or just talk to your friends or maybe the unknown world.. For some it might be a way to vent and to express all our thought and feelings somewhere where there is a kind of free abandon. Nothing controlling what we do or say other than those who read the very blogs we write. I assume if a blog gets too graphic or hurts somebody's sentiments a lot it might get flagged and eventually pulled of the air.

But, I guess from most of the blogs I read I find that it is a personal journal or our lives, our thoughts and our inner most feelings. It is not about saving the world, but it is more about healing ourselves. Most are written as if we are talking to our friends and a majority are in first person.

When you know the person well, or if you consider them your friend, then reading their blogs, good or bad makes you feel something for them, but there are situations which my own blog has shown, where a total stranger reads the blog and gets touched by what they have read. It might light up your day or lead you to a situation where you sit down to think or in my case blog.

It has been a while since I have blogged. Well that is mostly since I have been busy with work and there has not been a topic that has really caught my eye or I felt like writing about.

Today when this abstract idea popped into my head I just felt like sitting down to write a blog. It some how makes you happy to share your thoughts with apparent total strangers or the closest of friends or relatives.

I guess that is why people blog. So that what they feel get read. It might get read by atmost one person, but that really does not matter, because we feel happy when we realize that our thoughts are shared with the world.

PS :

What makes people all the more happy is when we see comments on what we write. It's confirmation that you had that patience to read what we wrote.

Rahul...

Another Year.. Another Birthday

2007-07-19T20:32:00.000-06:00

Well.. I guess it's Happy Birthday to me..

Another Year another birthday.. Well this year, far away from home it was well a different day..

My birthdays have always been a special day to me. And maybe so because of my family and friends around me. Moreover the last few years, well my birthdays have been wonderful.

This year has been a polar opposite of my birthdays of the past. This year despite my friends trying their very best to make my day special, there was something missing, my family...

Well happy birthday to me. Looking forward to many more birthdays with family around..

Man I sound depressed. My Girl's gonna be so upset when she reads this. Well this is how I feel..
I miss them all.. I miss my Family. I know this is the first time I have been man enough to admit on my Blog, but well that's the fact..

Rahul......

2007-07-18T13:40:00.000-06:00

Well It's been a month Since my Last Blog.. I've had a few drafts since then, but have not had the time to work on them.

So here's a blog just to fill some air time

The Flight

This is a Video of US trying some insane stunts at Six Flags over Texas. It was gr8 Fun, The video is a Month old as well. So you can see.. I've not really done much since..

Chill Out...

Rahul

What makes You laugh, Makes me Cry.

2007-06-14T10:45:00.000-06:00

Have you ever thought about how often it is that we laugh in the face of another person's agony.

Why is it that we find another person's owes hilarious?

Are We such a hurtful, such a scornful species that we take pleasure in another's pain?

The simplest little thing. A guy gets up in the morning from bed and is walking to the loo and he slips and falls, it would evoke a rip roaring laugh from most people.

It seems to be at the very essence of human life.

If a person you really don't like or a competitor has a hard time somewhere in your heart you feel happy.
Why would anyone take pleasure from another's pain, well that's our nature I guess...

Well this is a blog with a thought to ponder over. Do you Laugh when someone else crys?

Do you find other people laughing when you cry?

Think about it.

Rahul..

When Yesterday was better than Today.

2007-06-10T22:53:00.000-06:00

Well a friend once told me,

"The Day you think you yesterdays are better than your todays,
It time for you to do something about it. To make you todays just as good"

Well, I did do something about it 6 years ago. I changed my life, I made my Todays, my only day. I lived for the day. I took each day as it came. I made some great friends and I completely changed as a person. There was nothing that I wanted at that time but make my life different.

That was a stage in my life where I wanted a fresh slate, and to my good fortune I got it. I might have taken it a bit far. And like one of my best friends once said, I developed a new trait, a need to prove myself. To show what I am made of. To show I am good. Something which i didn't really need to do.

Over those 6 years I matured as a person, I overcame a lot of my insecurities and made a lot of great friends. I also learned a lot about people and relationships along the way. I might have as a result become a little less trusting of all people, but very trusting of others. It's a trait I have noticed in myself over the years. I tend to take people at face value a lot. Maybe that's my nature, I am what you get, good or bad, but that's not how the world works, and I am learning that the hard way. I went from a boy out of school, to the guy I am today but my nature has not changed much, I am trusting, angry, loving, honest(at least to myself) and try to be happy.

I have always tried to smile, No matter what, I have tried to smile, when I am feeling down I look in the mirror and give myself a big bright smile, I perks me up a bit. As a result I may get pushed around a bit, not everyone takes me seriously, but this is not a trait I really want to get rid off.

I met someone along the way, that someone changed my life. She has been my emotional support, a friend, a sister, she has always been there for me, through the thick and the thin. She has been wonderful.

And then there was that girl, she came into my life and my life that was taking it's second downward turn and she turned it right back up. I fell in love. She is the most loving person I ever met and I find it really difficult to express any feeling about her. She's my world.

Through all my years, I had taken 2 people for granted. My Parents. They were always there when I needed them and I never thought twice to ask them for help. Their influence over my life is profound to say the least. Over the last few years I have come to see my folks in many lights, but I wont go over that online. Let's just say they mean the world to me.

There have been those friends, who have always told me the truth no matter what, friends who have been my listening posts for years, My friends who take me for what I am, and don't try and change me.

Well, Is this blog making any sense?

Did you notice anything strange about the tense of the entire blog?

Yes, it's in past tense. I am in a new world now and I find my self back where I started, and I remember the line my friend told me that day,

"The Day you think you yesterdays are better than your todays,
It time for you to do something about it. To make you todays just as good"

Well this time around, I am not going to change anything about me or my life.

I am in a new phase of my life.

A phase where my past influences still exist and I very much want them to be a part of my life. My Love, My parents, My sister, my best friends.

But this phase is about me.

This is going to be about how I take my yesterdays and still make them a part of my todays, even though most of my yesterdays are half way across the globe.

These todays are going to be about how I take my life forward, without leaving my past behind.
In a world where work seems to be everything, I need to strike a balance between, Life and Life at work....

My need to prove myself is showing it's face at work and that I am sure can be tapped to get the best out of me.

Well yes, today my yesterdays seem wonderful, but my todays don't seem to bad either. I just need to strike a balance. A way to make my Yesterday a part of my today.

Rahul..

Smitten

2007-06-10T16:34:00.000-06:00

We have all been smitten, Or so we think. To be Smitten with love is quite something else.

Websters defines smitten as "strongly and suddenly affected".

Our first crush, or our second... Oh how we thought that was it that was the real thing. But then comes along that one person. That one person that makes you feel indescribable. That one person whose presence in a room livens up your day. A person whose voice makes you happy.

When you just met her and you are on your way home afterwards, and you start missing her at once. You know you are Smitten.

You miss her when you are in a huge group of your good friends, You know you are smitten.

When you are with her in a crowd and you can see only her, you know you are smitten.

When you are miles apart and you feel like a part of your heart has been ripped out. You know you are smitten.

When you feel incomplete without her. You are smitten.

You are smitten with Love. You are helpless to do anything about it. You are hers. And if you are lucky.. She is yours too..

Oh what a feeling it is to be Smitten. To be in Love.

To be in love for so many years, to write something like this after so long, to feel the intensity in your heart when you are writing it shows the power of love, the power of true Love.

A thought of a word, produced a blog, the fingers on the keyboard evoked emotions and emotions brought out my love in words. That's being Smitten.

Rahul..

Anger Management

2007-06-03T20:53:00.000-06:00

Well this article is not exactly about anger management. It's about Anger Utilization.

Anger, a human feeling. One of the most primal feelings on Earth. We all get angry. That's natural. But how long it takes for us to get angry, what we do with our anger. Do we use it, misuse it. How long we hold it in. This is all different.

Some of us Burst like lava bursting out of a volcano and some of us simmer and simmer and hold it in.

But the power of anger, such a lethal force. If that bountiful energy that gets generated is tapped. Imagine the things that can get done or undone, depending on the way it is used.

Take for example, you get fed up with a nagging boss. You could get so frustrated that you could destroy half the work that you have done or you could get so keyed up to show him who's the man, that you could sit through and power on and give him what he wants way before time.

People burst like balloons filled with water and wet everyone around them. They seem to be happiest when exploding on someone. Then there are those that keep it all within and seem to implode. These people are dangerous. The day they blow, you'd better be a mile away. Be nowhere close by.

This is Anger Utilization. A short blah on the characteristics of Anger.

Rahul