What I felt about INTERSTELLAR!

It has been quite some time that I have made an entry here. Something that drove me into those old days of writing and sharing my opinions with you.. is after watching Guruji's movie INTERSTELLAR.

I had all the excitement, all the awe how an year old would have on looking at a bright balloon right in the sky. It all started three days before the start of the movie. Me along with a bunch of friends were eagerly waiting for the advance booking of the movie and one evening the tickets appear on the most stupid site and boom they're all booked (Damn you BookMyShow!). Had to get in the queue at the Prasadz Box office get the ticket and get out. Well that's how it went!

For all the cursing IMAX had gone through, this was a blessing in disguise. I was never able to watch proper digital imax movies or they were presented in a normal format. May be they reserved their traditional projector for one last time.. Exclusively for this one.... With so many expectations and excitement I just got in..

This is a story of an ex pilot who worked for NASA and now taking care of his farm and family. His overly attached daughter, teen son and father-in-law stay right in the middle of a huge corn farm. (Man that farm was huge, it has some stunning visuals when these guys chase a drone.) He encounters a secret lab and then goes on to the mission of saving mankind as earth is running out of reserves and food. This mission is to find habitable planets, come back and take the human race there. How they find it and how he comes back is the rest of the story.

Stunning visuals CHECK
Decent background score CHECK
Challenging viewer's ability CHECK
Ending with a BANG CHECK

NOLAN's movie YES IT IS!

I want to specifically make a note on the way how Nolan brother's dealt with science with regards to the story. Jonathan Nolan took a little course on Black Holes and everything related to that. Chris and Jon had made a purely scientific documentary into a family drama. 

What I loved?
Chris takes you on an emotional ride. Leaving all the thread's and pulling them off in the end with ease is what a trademark Nolan film is. With 1 hour of the time spent on the Planet Miller, it is about 8 years on earth. Gravitational anomaly, neutron stars, black holes and event horizon, saturn's magnificent rings, worm hole and the journey through it and the real dust cloud that had covered an entire baseball field (which wasn't CGI)... They made it look simpler and understandable for an average guy. This should be Matthew McConaughey's best performance till date. He was just apt for the role and he pulled it off with ease. 

What wasn't that lovable :(
When you know that this movie is about a space journey, there lies a guy who has a dark character. There lies a scene where someone tried to dock the space craft and gets blown away. These two things looked cliche. 

Finally..
I loved Stanley Kubrick's Space Odyssey, that set a benchmark in making space films. Interstellar beats the pulp out of that and it does occupy first place. Honestly the best of 2014 and not the best of Nolan.

Rockingly!
Mani.

Seven Psychopaths

Have you ever thought of going in a car into a desert with a guy who would like to have a shoot out? Well if your answer is any of the possible nods, you gotta watch this movie. It starts off with a decent EXT-Hollywood written on top of the LA hills. And there are two guys fully armed and about to kill a WOMEN. I have to, have to specially describe about the conversation of the two; one asks to the other about "Do ya know, who got shot in the eyeball?". This instinct says that how settled the director is and the way he is good at what he is.

Technically the movie has a pretty good screenplay that makes you glued to the screen. I can recollect some of the best dialogue writers(QT). The story just unfolds on telling the first Psychopath with the first scene. A struggling story writer, Martin ( played by Colin Farell) wishes to write a different story, which has all the gory psychopaths but does end with a peace making one in the end. As the movie goes on the different psychopaths unfold letting us how everyone is inter connected. With the initial one who's in the disguised form, the title of the movie appears(I gotta say the titles have a special place, which you would know right in the end of the movie).

There is a crazy friend, Billy (played by Sam Rockwell) of Martin , who kinda kidnaps dogs from wealthy guys with his old ally Hans (played by Christopher Walken). As Martin tries to write up a story of all the seven psychopaths, he comes across first one... Who's the Jack of diamonds from the first scene. Billy crazily gives an ad in a newspaper about the story saying "Share your weird story, we'll make that into a movie". With a resurrecting lover, a guy joins the list with his lover which makes 3. Meanwhile Billy and Hans come kidnap a dog from the local don . And the rest of the story is all about how these people are getting connected and how craziness leads people into psychopaths.

All you gotta look out in this story was the way the screen-play was handled. As I said earlier, somewhere in your sub-conscious mind you'd compare it with Quentin Tarantino's work. I hope the movie goes well at all the award functions.

Bottom-line: A bagful of surprises.

That's all folks,

Mani.

Last day of Engineering.

It's been quite a long time I had a post. There were some of the experiences I shared with you guys, before the completion of my engineering. Damn man, it's been almost a year and I'm happy flying out successfully (ahem! except few supplementary exams), finally after going through shit it brings me here to BLOG the same.

It was April 23rd of 2011, a routine day which has had the extra sun burns. The stage was all set to bring happiness(some kind of), to the pass out batch students. Yes it was the last day of my college, the college management bearing us for four years vehemently pushed out us guys. Irony was at it peaks, as we had our last exam going on that day and we were rushing to make our place to see the event. After pushing on hardly, I escaped failing the exam, as my thoughts and mind was saying get out of this stuff ASAP!

I took a 400m walk out of my campus, it was almost 6 in the evening. Most of my friends remained at the venue to spend the last time with their buddies. What stuck my mind was, oh! actually there were a million things moving in my mind. The job fever has almost made me nuts. I used to think over the job scenario again and again. Flashback two months earlier. It is February 2011, with all of my friends in the esteemed colleges got recruited into the wannabe companies (well they're MNCs, but I prefer calling them in this way). Our college (continue reading if you hate bureaucracy and yeah your college :P), couldn't produce any of the placements and we had really tough time finding one. It was all the management and department head, who sucked big time. Will post another booooring article about my HOD and principal guys. 


I had so many delusions, but this was way too hard to even express (gulps...!). I can clearly see someone who was following me. He-who-must-not-be-named kind of creature, the complete fictional job-less creature turned out to be scary delusion to me. He never uttered a word or had an expression. A pale blank and restless face always bothered me. Well facing some real good movie delusions I really wanted to walk out. And at this time screw friends, teachers (oh also college crushes :D), I walked out. 


Job-less-ness: This can be conveniently said as Unemployment. But I prefer to say the former one. After settling my mind, I rushed to my home and slept. On the other flip, what happened with my friends who were actually missing me will be posted in the next article. Please don't wait na, I might disappoint you. 


Rockingly,
MaNi.

We’ve committed a sin, I’m a sinner.

This comes to speak about a resemblance of dark act; I was trying to recollect a memory after seeing a newspaper. This said, police booked complaint against a gang of 10^th class boys and in turn were forced to file a case against respective school management by their parents. This brings me to write a memoir, which was covered by greed.

In this materialistic society, education was the then ruled by rural community and now a corporate. That was eight class, we had a huge cricket ground. I wasn’t the captain or even a vice… 15 boys!

We had many matches; I was much more of a ball boy rather than playing the actual game. I got a chance when some player gets injured or absent. When I played none gave me an ear, eventually we lost every game that I was in. Raju who was the captain had a hope in me, as I get 2 wickets per match and a score of 30 runs. The other guys spoilt the match

Ever since I get onto ground, it was all about reading the pitch and getting a glance of a hand (almost in a nano second), from the bowler. I can say that because I had enough blows in the practice session and even worsen in matches. I was happy about myself as, I get to know the reactions from my captain. Ramu, Vasu, Madhav, Kranthi, Singh all I can recollect their names. These guys were the important players that made an impact in batting as well as bowling.

This people used to give almost everything for the sport, which was their spirit. Every sport had merchandise, and so cricket. We guys used to collect coins, attractive stuff that had some player’s name. They made a great collection, which consisted of a thousand cricket coins, scores of bats, books entirely of Cricketers autographs. The best part is, however you live when you win a match and get a free soda, you forget all those kiddy egos. This was great and every one was awful until the big event happened.

With the coins that they collected, they started doing business. This went so big among kids, such that the entire lunch time was invested as a stock exchange. Kids of other schools started doing these things, it all became mafia all of once. It was the last match we had in 8^th class, I had a finger rupture while attempting a catch and it was unfortunately a no-ball. Ended up the match losing, there was a sudden thud… Ramu was being beaten up from the nearby school boys, as he refused to sell at their price and later abused them. This was enough to make us stand before our principal, the next morning every class was suspended until this issue gets solved.

This business has grown so strong, that the lower class kids lost the studies track and begun talking all this stuff. It gave me a worse impact as I was the captain of a school group. The moment we started to take some action, we were already in principal chamber. She was lanky, yet fastidious. There as a huge bamboo stick, this was bought for the special treatment.

“From where do you get these ideas kids?” , it was like a juicy slow ball from a right arm spinner. Raju tried answering and so as me, eventually answers didn’t coincide. This was like a suicidal run-out. Huh she stared asking many things, there was absolute silence followed by a huge sound. Our P.T. sir started banging everyone on their knuckles; soon there were tears and cries.

The best part of the act was, police from local police station, I began to panic. Our parents were called, as if though we were caught selling drugs. This was made big; I began to lose faith and also cried at that moment. Henceforth unwillingly participating into this massacre (must be a big word), I became a sinner. This one makes me say this, even though you are a part of team, you have to bear the challenges that out siders give you. When it’s a team, it has to be within a team.

Nevertheless our business succeeded with, expansion after expulsion of few kids from the school. They made gains, not giving a thought to the problems the lower class kids influenced.

I try to finish this with, when it comes to growing up with kids’ parents and teachers must involve without their notice. They’re still young guns, when encouraged and put into right track one can see their mettle.

Go green Diwali

Right from my childhood I’ve been ecstatic and joyous before and after a month of Diwali. I even recollect few of my school memories where I was asked to write essays and letters in English exams… I used to describe all the pomp and flavor of the sweets and the crackers with excitement. Now in the final year of graduation, the interest has vanished with the increasing days and nights.

The shop owners perform the traditional Laxmi puja, to prosper in their business and earn much. The delicious eateries and glittering ornaments make women complete in the festival. Malakpet area filled with the crowd during the festive time, kids pulling the shirts of their dads and Standard cartons filled all over. A huge line to pay the bill…

Getting onto the story behind the Diwali, the festival of divas… the triumph of good over evil is the saying, but I’d like to add this. Practically there needs to be a festival to burst crackers and make oneself lost into the colors of nature. The way rockets go up and emit a twinkling starry combination. The shots that get into cycles and based on timing the effervescence, oh this is great and awesome. Branded clothes with few ignoring gestures from the elders the festival moves up.

After many Diwalis I’ve thought to do something a bit different. Cracker less Diwali! Isn’t that sounding interesting and awkward? Yes, based on the survey conducted by the National Pollution Control Board the pollution that occurs only on the day of Diwali equals half of the vehicular pollution of a year. So folks this might look scary and I invite very one to hold up this initiative and there’s definitely another way of enjoying the festival with eco-crackers. Go for it!!

Rockingly,

Mani.

A banal question from avid movie goer.

Now a days in a straight telugu cinema, there has been ages I’ve seen a lead actress who can act as well as Soundarya, Ramya Krishna or any other veterans. Really the strength of the movie is led by the character artists. When Kota gives a look at Jagapathi babu in Gayam-2, it elevates the scene. When Sharath babu pleads for his daughter in Magadheera, we can say that the story is on. When Bharani says this dialogue “Vaadu magadu ra” in Athadu, we just enjoy saying that these are dialogues man!! The thing that is set inside is… the character artists blend the scene and the way they balance the entire chaos with their sensible attitude and mannerisms, I can say that they’re real heros.

Today I’ve watched movie ‘Current’, an extract of stardom.. this movie has Sushanth who plays lead role. By the end of the movie, there is a scene where he has to cry and make us feel crying, but the best part is I literally cried after watching his action. Oh man, it sucked. And in that part Thanikella Bharani who played his father’s role, simply took away the glimpse with his subtle dialogues and gestures.

The veterans Rao gopal rao, Veera Bhadra rao, Mullapudi and several others who played their prominent part in the yesteryear movies are legends who are forgotten. What made me to write this article is, there’s been an interview with SRK once on the upcoming acting schools. He simply said this, one comes into this school either to become another SRK or Sallu or Amirkhan, and none is into becoming Anupam Kher, Ompuri, Naseeruddin shah or Nana patekar. The best example that I can say is, its because of these artists one could see the movie ‘Rajneeti’ otherwise that would have been a dud.

My amateurish article is a tribute to all the forgotten legends of Indian Cinema, who gave us rib tickling comedies, stunning stunts, rain songs, RGV once said the guys who act back ground are the best when we compared to these glamorous stars*.

Rockingly,

MaNi

A VIGILANTES’ passport!

This is one such a situation I wanna discuss, there needs to be a paper (Oh my!!this is much more than a paper!) to show your identity as a citizen of a country… to write an exam to qualify for an entry into foreign universities. I want to take guard and explore the situation and mélange it with rampage. I have to apply for a passport and have them for writing my GRE exam; this is made mandatory in India as the strength of students taking this is much more.

Things go very well, until there’s an antecedent which stymies my flow of thought. There’s a blunder that I’ve made… opting for the exam with out knowing the rules. As I believe that I’m good enough to cope up with the changes in the society. A confess and an admit doesn’t solve the case as an old Chinese saying goes. I went to the place and made a series of attempts and returned empty.

After a series of unfortunate events((Tada)Jim’s movie) I got a chance to visit the passport office and drop an application over there. It was 7:00 in the morning; I could see some scores of bikes in a parking lot. Yes it was the passport office located amidst the railway station and local bus stand. I took a long breathe and went into the queue. I can surpass a guy in red shirt and noticed he was sleepy. Taking a slip with the agent (James bond) went and stood in a way long line. The first guy who stood here for the passport for applying has come here on 7:00 pm yesterday’s night. Dude isn’t this peak of corruption, peak of negligence and an unnoticed stream of frustration.

There was an allowance for few people whose passports were mishandled as the police over there gave an explanation. Finally clock stuck 9:30 and I can get in. oh my goodness my number was 30. When I went inside there were not less than a 100 people sitting right in front of me. Am I the only fool standing in the line and throwing among the crowd? I asked the guy sitting beside me, how did u come so early? He smiled at my ignorance and replied... If u wanna make a govt’s work better bribe them and everything goes smooth, it was like a sudden blow on my face.

Thinking about a failed attempt, I went to the counter… all of a sudden there were huge cries coming from my back ground. A woman misguided as she couldn’t see the name of the counter mistook and stood all along for a big time and came to know that she was cornered… I felt bad as she was an old woman and she couldn’t walk properly.

I moved myself and took out my application; a granny of age 50 was sitting there. She took my birth certi and was watching still as she could find out any mistakes… She threw that at me. Ok the main issue’s solved. She took a look at my pass book, ration card…. The procedure continued, she took a look at my college’s custodian and gave me a bang. I can’t take this; I stood in shock and all my sweat covering my face. Then I replied slowly, for the first time in my life… ma’m my college has an issue and it gives me this only. She said fine…

Then I paid the fee and the work’s done… come on bud, I have completed my work. But there deep inside my soul says that, you’re a penchant of your dreams and an egotist. Let the world go as it is… shame to call you as a Vig. I admit that we’re corrupt and blame the country for many more things. Thing’s clear, we are opportunists and would like to kiss any one’s a** for our work.

Comments are accepted.

Regards

Mani kanth