It’s Sridevi’s birthday! I am so excited about celebrating! Because it means we all get to watch a bunch of really great song sequences as I list of my reasons that I love her. I did 13 reasons last year, but now she is one year older, so I will do 14! (this is an updated and reposted post from last year)
Well, I’ve been putting this off, because I didn’t have much to say. And also because a got a nice string of abuse on my no-spoilers review. Which is why I am a little mad at this movie. Because it’s leaving me open for abuse! Being so political that I can’t avoid commenting on the politics, even though I want to run a nice film analysis blog that only deals with social issues in generalities, not specifics. And clearly it is political, because there are angry people looking for me to say bad things about it. Oh well, I’ll spoil it for you all anyway, and maybe someone will leave a nice comment on this one.
I’m here! I’m excited! The first scene which really needs explanation and discussion or else it makes no sense. The one that we all get to have arguments about what it really means and if it is stupid or works and how we all (and all the characters) feel about things. Oh boy! (full Jab Harry Met Sejal index here)
Well, that was an interesting movie going experience! One half a charming unusual love story, one half a massive Modi propaganda movie. And then a hidden third half in a parallel dimension that is what the movie really wanted to be about and couldn’t. The movie I thought the trailer was promising us.
Don’t lie, you read that headline and went “Aha! She is leaving the purity of the real Independence movies for the random India-themed films! Lazy!” But no! You are not remembering! All of Purab Aur Paschim takes place in the shadow of the Quit India movement. And also Hare Krishnas. But mostly Quit India. (if you want a real meaningful hardcore Independence Day post, check out yesterday’s on Rang De Basanti)
Oh boy, I really do not want to write this post! But it was a special request, and it really feels like something I HAVE to do the Friday before Independence Day. But I refuse to watch this movie one more time (ha!) because it makes me way way too sad. So be aware, this will all be based on memories from like 4 years ago, the last time I felt masochistic enough to watch it. (I’ve written on this film before, and promised then that it wouldn’t be the last post. You can read it here)
Oh Suniel Shetty! Definitely a “you don’t get older, you just get better” kind of person. Every year you are getting better and better. And here are a dozen reasons why.
Happy Thursday! My 4th and final watch is tonight. Which is usually the watch where I stop enjoying the film. 1st time, so-so, but there is so much to process I am overwhelmed. 2nd time, much better, I can relax and focus. 3rd time, usually as good as the 2nd time. 4th time, now I am starting to get bored because I know absolutely everything already. And then 5th time is DVD/streaming a couple months later, and I am back in. Anyway, good news is, now that I have seen it 3 times, my memories are pretty locked in and I can do the scene by scenes without struggling too much. (full JHMS index here)
My local bank has this funky series of plaques along the side based on an editorial from the local paper from like 1954 called “Can We Wave the Flag Too Much?” This, my answer is going to be “No!”, at least if we are talking about the Indian flag. And so, a series of short posts suggesting some patriotic viewing choices on the ramp up to Independence Day. Also, some nice counter-programming to the Jab Harry Met Sejal bonanza.
Have I mentioned that technology hates me? Or at least, doesn’t like me much? Following your notes on my last post, I tried a fast-talking excited video. And then after 3 days of trying, have totally failed to figure out how to add graphics (the other big suggestion). So put a pin in the graphics requests (unless you have a suggestion for a free program I can download to do them), and just focus on the talking head part of it.
I don’t know why I didn’t start doing this ages ago. So much easier to just have one place to come back to instead of trying to link to every other post from within each post like some kind of crazed math graphing problem. It’s here! It’s all here! And I will just update this one place as I add new posts.
Let’s through out a nice general discussion type post! For those of you who aren’t interested in my scene by scene of JHMS or Monday Malayalam or Tuesday Tamil. We can all talk about Ajay Devgn’s midlife crisis and how increasingly charming Siddharth and Kriti are looking in comparison.
Welcome to the first scene by scene since Bahubali 2! Which might make you go “really? This movie?” But yes! Really! This movie! It deserves it. (full index of JHMS coverage here)
I watched this whole movie and I am still not sure who did it and why and all of that. But it was certainly entertaining! Although not as entertaining as the last CBI movie I watched, Jagratha CBI, where the twists were just BONKERS.
Happy Raksha Bandhan! A holiday I don’t get to celebrate at all, because there are no brothers in my family. Yes, even if I count cousins. All girls, all the time, both mother and father’s side of the family. But, at least I can watch movies and pretend this is what it would be like if I had a brother or a cousin-brother. (this is an updated and reposted post from last year)
(as always, if you have a favorite video for the holiday, let me know in the comments!)
Accessbollywood.net does the real work of keeping this list updated, if you want a day by day update, subscribe to them. My update is only like once a month or so when I feel like it. But it does give some tips on what to watch and what not to watch, so that’s helpful! I hope.
Is it still Friendship Day in India? Am I getting in just under the wire or did I miss it? Oh well, either way I want to do a quick post on it with a few of my favorite songs about friendship. (this is an updated and reposted post from last year)
And a 3rd review! Which I did first, and then wrote the other two (no spoilers and spoilers) while the video processed. And I did it in one take (oooo!), because there was no way I was putting my hair back up again.
It’s Kajol’s birthday! YAAAAAAAAAAY!!!! I LOVE her! Love love love! So I am going to do a full 43 reasons I love her, one for every year she’s been alive. Oh boy! (this is an updated and reposted post from last year)
OH MY GOD!!! If you are attracted to Shahrukh Khan, and if you have found him increasingly attractive as he ages, then this movie will KILL YOU. Like, kill you dead. I thought he was distracting in Dear Zindagi, but this is a whole other level. However, I should warn you, if you are not attracted to Shahrukh Khan, or find him less attractive as he ages, you will not enjoy this movie.
This is another one of those posts that I know I have said in various forms in other comments and stuff, but I thought I might as well write it all out in one place so we can think about it together. Once again, the war drums are beating as to why Shahrukh is playing too young, in a romance, and opposite a woman half his age. Replace “Shahrukh” with “Salman” or “Ajay” or “Akshay”, and the same question comes up. Let’s not settle for the simple “ageism!” or “midlife crisis!” explanation, let’s dig a little deeper.
Moviemavengal is on youtube, a couple of commentators pointed out if I want to drive up my blog views youtube is the place, and I was trapped all day Sunday in the only airconditioned room in my apartment with loads of time to work. So, it was time.
I’m back! A little interval in Jab Harry Met Sejal week for an experiment with my own imagination. I feel like I’ve earned that with all the nice posts I’ve given you lately. (all Bahubali posts, including the rest of this fanfic, are indexed here)
Only 2 (1?) days left! And finally, the movie that was my first thought when I saw the trailer, Pyaar to Hona Hi Tha. Which is very very hard to find and watch (thank you HotStar India and your obsession with copyright and streaming locations!), so forgive me if I miss-remember anything.
Okay, Aamir, you’ve won me over. After seeing that teaser over and over and over and over again, the trailer added enough new to it that I am interested.
dontcallitbollywood 