Terminator 2 - They don't make movies like these anymore.

I was watching Arnie's "Terminator 2" a few days back, I was watching it after nearly a decade. While watching it made me realise that the film has always stood the test of time, even today while watching it you get goosebumps when you see Arnie strut around in slow motion with his heavy leather jacket on ,with the shot gun in one hand . James Cameron was on top of his game when he made that movie, T2 was the best ever of its kind setting the benchmark for other sci-fi action movies, but none till date have come close to matching its aura.

The version I watched was an extended version of the director's cut, the total run time was 16 minutes extra which had many extra scenes in it which are not included in the TV version. The film is still visually stunning, the action scenes can still compete with many movies made in this decade even with the superior technology being used today. The T-1000 is a worthy adversary to the The Terminator, this was probably Robert Patrick's only moment of fame after which he went on to star in not- so- famous movies. Edward Furlong as John Connor was promising as the brash confused teenager who goes on to make a relationship with The Terminator, he should have been retained for his John Connor roles in its following versions, Linda Hamilton's kick- ass Sarah Connor would give complex to Lara Croft, and Arnie, well he suited the role to a T(as in terminator), Arnold was at the peak of his powers then, he could carry any action movie on his wide broad shoulders (Arnie's $15 million salary to 700 words of dialog is a proof of that). If the face of Helen of Troy had launched a thousand ships, the body of Arnold would have launched a thousand gyms in India alone where he used to be worshiped, even today you could spot Arnie's cut outs hung outside gyms.

T2 was not all about brawn, the movie had its emotional moments too, the bonding between young John and the Terminator was shown well, with no overdose of sentiment the movie was emotionally stable too. On the action front, the movie had some of the best chase sequences you could ever see, its technical flawlessness went on to earn it 4 Oscars. There may be many action stars going around in the industry today and there maybe newer and much grander versions of the Terminator installments, but for the true blue movie maniacs Terminator 2 would be our bible and Arnie would always be our Last Action Hero. 

Vrrrrooooommmmm….. Its more than just the sound of an engine.

The relationship between a Man and his Machine has always been something that’s hard to fathom, a Man dreams of being the machine which he rides. The roar of the engine unleashes the beast within him so much so that even a Roadside Ranga driving a TVS Victor will behave like a John Rambo. Bikes have always been a symbol of the macho Alpha Male in cinema, from the T-1000 in Terminator-2 to Madhavan in Run. Run not only transformed the image of chocolate boy Maddy to the no-nonsense ass kicker, it also made Bajaj Pulsar the stallion with which the love struck youth would woo their women. Movie stars around the globe have all used their machines with ruthless efficiency in winning their ladylove as well as kicking the bad guy’s ass with equal panache. The more intimidating the bikes, the better the chances of making the bad guy piss in his pants sooner. Bikes define the persona of the rider, it is always necessary that when you choose a bike it should match your persona, you really dun wanna look out of place when the bike you choose totally contradicts your personality. Imagine yours truly in a Pulsar with a helmet double the size of my head and you will know what Iam talking about.

Bikes have their own identity, some are the Bad- asses, some are the Wannabe Bad asses, some are the Cool Dudes, and some are just Cinderella’s carriage.

The Bad-asses: The Royal Enfields, the Harley Davidsons, the Bullets, these are the bad asses, The Godfather, the Don Corleone of Bikes. When they cruise the road you cannot help but watch them with your eyes wide and mouth wide open, they don’t vrrrooom these guys roar, they own the road. You need a lot of attitude to pull it off while riding this breed of bikes, you cant be a skinny assed fucker wearing “Attitude Rules” t-shirt trying to look cool, you need more than a t-shirt to match the power of this beast. I once had the chance of watching an Enfield and a Pulsar kick start at once and noticed this, while the Pulsar’s engine went “Vrrroooom” the Enfield’s thundered, it was as if Zeus himself had descended on Earth to tame this beast (The man driving it did look like Zeus himself). The sound of Pulsar’s engine drowned in front of the Enfield’s thunder, it was as if the Enfield was telling the adolescent Pulsar “Beta, tere bade kitne bhi ho jaaye, neeche hee rehte hain” (Son, no matter how big your balls are, they will always stay below your pecker).

The Wannabe Bad asses: the Pulsars, the Hero Hondas, the Yamahas fall in this category. They are the carriers of the adventurous ones, the ones with the raging hormones, the daredevils. You can see a lanky fella in every street chasing skirt with his Pulsar/ Yamaha trying to act cool. The same lanky fella throttles the accelerator with all his might when a damsel is in his pillion seat, who hugs him tight whenever the beast gathers speed, many a times this blogger has been a mute witness to such acts of “bravery” waiting for his time to come. But if speed is what thrills women, I shall save it for the bedroom. ;)



The Cool Dudes : These are the ones that are neither too girly nor too macho, the ones for the nerds, or those who look like nerds (I fall in this category), these are the ones for the mama’s boy types.The Honda Activa, the Deo belong to this range, the new age scooter. They look cool, but they are not the conventional Hamara Bajaj type Bajaj Scooters either. They look modern and hep and riding them does not mean you are a pussy, Jason Segel rode them in I Love You, Man and he couldn’t have looked cooler.

Cinderella’s carriage: The bikes from Scooty’s stables fall in this category, the faithful servant of the ladies. Many a times I have been in the pillion being driven all around the city by damsels who were kind enough to offer me a ride solving my problem of transport. Yes I shamelessly sat back and enjoyed the ride when they had the not-so-envious job of navigating through the traffic, they did a better job than I would have ever done, I salute you my lady friends. Made just for the ullagam sutrum pengal (the traveling women) the Scooty symbolizes freedom and women’s emancipation.

So, the next time you start your bike stop and listen, probably they are saying something more than just Vrrrooooooooommmm !!

Drive Safe y’all !!

Carving our identity, in a new place, in OUR place….

So here Iam, at my new office with a new workstation, which is faster than the one I had earlier. Settling down to a less glamorous work style may take some time for my other colleagues who have worked in swankier and plush office environments, not for me though, Iam kinda okay with this, its not that bad, its okay for a first job working at a start-up company. Yes I don’t have a view, the only thing that would qualify as a “view” is the dump-yard and the morose looking buildings near my office, the people here are trying their best to make it look good, dustbins are being kept near my booth as I type this (making a mental note to ask the janitor to keep a handwash in the loo) its not a “cubicle”, it’s a booth, like the ones which we find in internet centers.  But its MY BOOTH, it is not on a borrowed land, and my workstation is not borrowed from my parent company, Its our own ! yes the dining area may not have Kumar serving us coffee and snacks, but its OUR dining area, I could slowly but surely feel that sense of ownership creeping in me. No more do I have to feel like a guest who overstays, no more shall I feel like Iam working in a place which I have to leave someday. I may be the poor prince who owns a straw crown, but it is better than a having a borrowed crown studded with diamonds.

The first step in getting recognized is to have our own space, a place from where we can announce ourselves to the outside world, a small place it may be, but its shall be a launch pad for us. It’s a learning curve for me as well, to start in a company unheard of and to play my role in making it heard is challenging. That is what life is, you start as a nobody, and as you progress, the baby steps you take turn into giant steps and when you look back you can be proud in saying to yourself “I started as a nobody, I’ve come a long way, Iam somebody now”, it is when you are at the bottom of the chain can you dream of going to the top. The ride may not be smooth, but it will be one heck of a ride.

Sayonara Tidel, you've been a H(e)aven

Three months ago when I joined my first day at work at Tidel Park, I was in awe of that place. Tidel Park for many working there is more than just a place to work, its a second home to more than 7000+ employees who come there to work be it day or night, it offers you a sense of security which no other place could offer.It was literally a fortress from the outside, getting into which could be a "Mission:Impossible" for any super-spy, there were thorough security checks and bag checking too, I was a victim numerous times to their strict procedure (can't blame em' I cant get rid of my thiruttu muzhi(sly look) no matter hw hard I try). I used to mumble and grumble to myself at first as I was always checked everyday, whereas there were others who did not have to undergo the procedure. Hell, they are doing their duty and I had to cooperate as a responsible citizen, I dun wanna sound like an ASS-R-K showing them attitude, I had better things to moan about.

You could always judge an enterprise by how courteous the gatekeepers are, the security guards in my office were very courteous. In all the three months I have worked there never have they missed wishing me a polite "Good Morning Sir" (they never pronounced it saar) , they are very caring and very helpful ,even when I had been there for an interview the first time. This shows they never differentiate between an employee and an outsider. There was this instance when I called up my dad to inform him of the untimely demise of Michael Jackson, the security guard who over heard it seemed visibly upset, asking me "Michael Jackson died?", later I realised that even these people whom we sometimes consider way below our league know stuffs. There was this one security guard working in the day shift to whom I asked for Moov, he not only gave me the ointment, but also enquired me about my back ache and suggested me ways to tackle it. God bless them, Its a pity I did not know the name of the very people who provided me such little moments of comfort.

The office canteen was one place which I would miss, it offers a great view of the concrete jungle that Chennai has become, buildings everywhere, smooth roads congested with traffic, and the Parrakum Rail whizzing past above the roads have served as a backdrop for all my conversations over the phone.Everytime I look at it, I feel a sense of pride in me which says "This is my office, this is where I work". Kumar working at the canteen serves tea diligently to all the employees, his evening snacks have always served as a topic of discussion as to who among our little group of employees is gonna be the sacrificial lamb who would empty is pockets. 

The over priced food courts with its stale food has been a joint for us little band of merry men to empty the contents of our wallet on it. My dream of having a pizza from Dominoes will probably remain a dream, maybe for the better, I have come close to getting a slice of it, but thanks to a colleague of mine whose appetite is as gigantic as that of a whale I could only manage a sniff of it.

The Tidel Gym (yes jerk-offs I have been sweating it out at the Gym) will be the one I would miss the most, my gym instructor Fabien (nope he aint French!) has been a kind man to put up with a walking- talking natural disaster like me. Many a times he has given me a cringing look whenever I used the dumb bells, a look that would say "Oh Shit! who is he gonna hurt now?" , but he has always been helpful no matter how close he has come to meeting with an accident while instructing me. He was way better than my first gym instructor who would say "Saar!! Yenna saar panaringa!!?" (though what he meant to say was "What the fuck are you doin asshole?!!") whenever he saw me do the bench press. After sweating it out for 22 days at the gym, and coming out unhurt, and leaving its other patrons unhurt, I broke the news to Fabien that my office is moving to a different place, he looked upset, but I bet he must have heaved a sigh of relief and would have said "Goodbye and good riddance!!" after I left. Whatever it may be, I thank you Mr.Fabien for being so helpful and making a skinny lad like me feel all macho about himself.

So from Monday, we will be at a new base, all these days we were at the turf of our parent company. We are a start-up company, and it is time we learnt to walk on our own and let go off our parents' hand, we will fall, but we will rise to keep walking. My new office may not offer me the views, the swanky food court, or the feeling that Iam working at a fancy place, I would be lucky enough if the loo looks hygienic enough to make me wanna take a shit there. But atleast I wont have the feeling that Iam living in a borrowed home, playing with borrowed toys. And as a professional (he he), its my duty to work under the environment provided, It will be hard to not to complain, it will take some time to adjust to living like a pauper especially when you were treated like a prince all these days. But the rise from being a pauper to again a prince is the stuff what life is made of. And I will live like a prince..

Public Enemies - Borrows the looks from "The Untouchables", but not its soul

" We're having too good a time today. We ain't thinking about tomorrow. " - John Dillinger


The Buildup - When I first checked out the profile of "Public Enemies" at IMDB, I literally jumped off the seat and promised myself that this is to be watched in a big screen with the company of people who shared my same enthusiasm. How better can this be? A gangster flick directed by Michael Mann, the same man who gave us the modern day crime saga "Heat", the gritty drama/thriller "The Insider" and the slick and stylish "Collateral" , and when you got Johnny Depp and Christian Bale, possibly the two most dynamic actors in recent times square off against each other, you will believe that it has all the makings of a classic.

The Makeup - I got to see the movie in a theatre called "Innovative" in Bangalore when I had went there for a weekend. At first it sounded like a name of a software company to me. The steep price(Rs.180 per person) for an ordinary theatre which could not hold a candle in front of namma Ega did not deter me from going for it, its a Michael Mann film after all, granted his last venture "Miami Vice" was a dud but The Man(n) has hit a formula for a blockbuster this time, Johnny Depp and Christian Bale directed by Michael Mann in a gangster flick, "He cant miss it this time!!" I said to myself, having full faith in the master director's abilities. Even the lack of crowd in the theatre did not succeed in being a party pooper, "Poor bastards, they have no idea what they are missing" I thought, I was in high spirits. As the lights went off and the reels started to turn, I waited with bated breath for the magic to unfold.


The Followup - "Public Enemies" will always draw comparisons with "The Untouchables"
because of its theme and the look, but the feel is something which you may not get, maybe the main reason being the use of Hi-Def digital cameras which for me killed its soul. It gave the movie a home- video kind of a look, with an amateurish feel to it. The character development was minimal for John Dillinger who is shown as a cross between Casanova and Capone, wooing the luscious Marion Cotillard with a charming lines "I like baseball, movies, good clothes, whiskey, fast cars... and you. What else you need to know? ". There were some scenes which were well made, the scene which depicted the audacity of Dillinger where he visits the police quarters, and asks the score from a cop adn walks away unnoticed, and the final scene where Dillinger watching a movie finds some similarity between him and Clark Gable are a few to name. But on the whole, there were not many scenes which would linger in you mind for long.

Public Enemies is a Johnny Depp movie where he did not have to try too much to be John Dillinger, Christian Bale as Melvin Purvis, the agent assigned to bring Dillinger to justice does not have much of a screen time when compared to Depp. Marion Cotillard does a neat job of Billie Frechette, Billy Crudup as Edgar Hoover does justice to his role. The cinematography with the hand held camera may kill the feel , and the intro music for Christian Bale (Ten Million Slaves- Otis Taylor) which is being used in the trailer as well may make you to download it.


The Last Word : Watching a movie as "Public Enemies" without expectations is impossible. Had Michael Mann pictured it on film instead of Digital Camera it may have atleast come close to matching my expectations. A one time watch.

Chasing Amy - What happens after the boy and the girl walk into the sunset...

"It's not who you love. It's how."



Picture this : Its raining heavily, the hero is in a car with his lady friend for whom he secretly harbors feelings. She gifts him a painting that was stuck in a coffee shop as a token for something to remember her by, our hero snaps, here he tells her "I love you", the statement coming out of the blue like a thunderclap (which does happen when he says this line). The heroine feels like the ground beneath her had torn apart, she doesn't take it well and gets out of the car, its a downpour and the heroine gets all wet, our hero pursues her and shouting on top of his voice he argues with her for all the pain that she has unknowingly put him through, "I can't stand next to you without wanting to hold you. I can't-I can't look into your eyes without feeling that-that longing you only read about in trashy romance novels. I can't talk to you without wanting to express my love for everything you are.." is what he says. Our heroine argues that she had always treated him as a friend, and she has her own reservations of getting into a relationship with a guy, and between all this argument, the hero pulls her towards her and they start kissing each other drenched from head to toe in the rain. You think they are gonna live happily ever after, but hold on, you are watching a Kevin Smith film....

And like any other Kevin Smith film, we have lots of talk revolving around sex and what are the ways in which people indulge in an intercourse, and the usual dose of Star Wars trivia. The story begins by showing the chemistry between two best friends Banky(superbly played by Jason Lee) and Holden (Ben Affleck) who are comic book artists. Enter Alyssa Jones, and nothing remains the same after that. Holden falls for Alyssa well knowing that she is a lesbian(Kevin Smith throws an unusual trait in his female lead for a reason known later). It works out well between Alyssa and Holden much to Banky's chagrin, but the wounded yaar returns digging up dirt from Alyssa's past just to get back at her for having stolen his buddy.

"Chasing Amy" does not just end after boy meets girl, it speaks about what happens after that, it speaks of the discomforts that a guy would undergo when he comes to know of his girlfriend's sexcapades in her younger days (this situation may be more relevant to the western audience), but even we guys may feel insecure if we are found lacking when compared to our girlfriends' previous sexual conquests. There are some brow- raising conversations between Holden and Alyssa that revolve around lesbianism, which may sound crude and may have to be watched with an open mind. And for all the Jay and Silent Bob freaks, they do make a small appearance in final stages of the movie where Silent Bob empathises with Holden's feeling and coins the term "Chasing Amy", owing to a similar experience which he had undergone.

Kevin Smith's "Chasing Amy" speaks about not whom we love, but loving them inspite of the way they were.