I totally forgot I wrote this post, and then some nice Cyrillic using reader posted a link to it on a message board which reminded me of it. And it’s brilliant! I agree with everything I said! And Star Wars is back in the news, so I might as well put it up again for us all to appreciate and discuss.
I got sick, so things got a bit backed up and I had to move a few things around. And therefore, Friday classics on Saturday!
I was going to do a “100 years of history in 10” list, and then I realized there AREN’T actually 10 jodis of equal level. So I am just going to introduce you to the really really big ones and without worrying about how many I include or putting them in order or anything.
I’m excited about this! In spitballing back and forth in the comments on last week’s post (which was more about Christmas as a festival of lights and social experience and sexy holiday romance), it was suggested that I should just do the whole story. And I think I can! If I break it into 3 bits.
This is fun, doing these little over view posts! The lists help me from getting all tangled up in my own thoughts, and let you join the discussion, because everyone has an opinion on what wasn’t included and should have been, and what was included and shouldn’t have been.
I know it seems like I’ve done way too many Shashi posts, but he is the only news right now, the biggest news right now. Because in the Hindi film fraternity, a death like this has an impact beyond just grief, there is a process to it that dominates everything for a few days.
Happy Thanksgiving! I am in the process of beating myself up trying to organize my apartment, but I am also trying to be thankful for the good things in life. Assume that family, friends, health, etc., are all taken as a given. Here are the other things!
Another starter kit post!!! And I will have to somehow figure out how to squeeze it into the menu bar at the top. Exciting! Also exciting, you are all going to have so much fun disagreeing with my choices in the comments!
Snow isn’t exactly the magical wonderment for me that it is for people in Indian movies. It’s been a part of my life for 4 months out of the year (at least) as long I can remember. But even so, there is something about the first snowfall of the year that is still kind of magic. Anyway, men in snow! Let’s look at them!
Kind of related to Secret Superstar, right? Another movie about a female protegee of a successful musician. But completely different in every other way. Anyway, an interesting film to talk about!
Happy Amitabh’s birthday again! And, because it is his birthday, I thought I would do a Shahrukh birthday post that could kind of work for Amitji too. So, co-stars!!!! Not in order in any way, just 22 that are interesting to think about.
It’s Amitabh’s Birthday!!!!! The second most glorious day of the filmic year (after November 2nd, I do have my priorities). And, of course, for Amitabh, I will be doing a full 75 reasons to love him. (this is an updated and reposted post from last year)
My favorite Yashji and Amitji’s film! Not the best one, that I know, but my personal favorite.
Happy Sunday! I am about to go to church for a Sunday School committee meeting, followed by Sunday school, followed by the fall involvement fair, followed by the services committee meeting. And this whole time I will know in my heart that I am secretly the kind of person who has written a “Shahrukh Khan as a prostitute” fanfic.
See? I listen! You have a lengthy argument about the olden days when men were men and chests were chests, and I provide you with images! I considered a fanfic, but I can’t come up with a plot that revolves around chest hair (something 101 Dalmatians inspired about fur coats?). I’m sorry! Even my imagination has limits.
This is a very round about post. I asked my friend (who requested that I link back to her instagram as her credit for always helping with these posts, so here it is) what I should do for my Friday post, as I ask her every Friday. And her response was “Travel!” because she is going out of town today. Only there aren’t really a lot of super great travel photos, so I ended up narrowing it down to “travel on motorcycles”.
Now, FINALLY, we reach the films people know! Which is a story in itself, the way films were ignored and forgotten during the early years, even TV only plays stuff from after 1970, let alone being able to find it streaming or on DVD or VHS. But, setting that aside for a moment, let’s look at these new “modern” films. (part 1 here and part 2 here)
Happy Labor Day weekend! Which I always mix up with Memorial Day weekend. It’s America’s fault, everywhere else in the world celebrates Labor Day on May 1st, easy to remember. But noooooooooo, we can’t be like everyone else, we have to invent a random holiday with an impossible to remember date. Anyway, since it is our random holiday, let us celebrate Labor! That is, “What is the hottest job for each actor?” You can give your own opinions in the comments.
I know this is the film that invented the Angry Young Man. I know it is a Big Story about power and the state and so on and so forth. And that’s why I enjoy it and respect it the same way I enjoy any of the other Amitabh classics, Sholay or Deewar or Trishul or Agneepath. But the reason I love it just for me, is because Jaya and Amitabh are SO IN LOVE. Like, so in love that it is blinding. It’s not a surprise they got married as soon as they finished filming, it would have been a surprise if the DIDN’T get married.
Happy Ganesh Chaturthi!!! So many wonderful songs! And a nice little reason to have a break in Jab Harry Met Sejal coverage. (this is an updated and reposted post from last year)
Happy Wednesday! Time to talk about what all we have been reading and watching and thinking this week. Oh, and I have a fun question for us to discuss too!
This is just the happiest movie! Crazy goofy happy. I watched it while feeling kind of down (no reason, didn’t get enough sleep the night before, that kind of thing), and it perked me right up! Highly recommend it next time you need a shot of happiness.
Sincerely, one of my favorite things about the Indian film industry is how it handles death. America is terrible with death in general, we hardly like to even acknowledge it, and we never let it interfere with “business”. But Indian film (and maybe India in general, it’s outside my area) treats it with the respect it deserves. And so when a great figure goes, the effect isn’t limited to tweets and articles in the newspaper, it has reverberations beyond that.
It’s Jaya Bachchan’s birthday! She is 69 years old today, and semi-retired, as are most 69 year olds. But I think she still has some great movies in her, and I would love to see her come back in a leading role.
My parent’s 40th wedding anniversary is today and my sister and I are doing NOTHING. Well, not nothing. There is a some small stuff in the works. But it’s not exactly the big rent-a-ballroom-create-a-dance-routine-write-a-poem kind of celebration that other, better children do. To try to make up for that, I am going to at least do a theme blog post.
dontcallitbollywood 