Wednesday, December 28, 2005

Delhi to Darwin

It's been a few days since my last post, and my posts will continue to be erratic over the next few days. My access is over dial-up (yes, dial-up!), and it's not as frequent as I might like.

There's so much to post about, and over the next few posts, I hope to cover the following topics:

1. My thoughts on Singapore
2. Darwin City & Australia in general
3. Blog revamp

Comment away.

Saturday, December 17, 2005

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Brokeback breaks record

Brokeback Mountain has become the highest grosser per screen for any film released.

Read it here.

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

Responsible journalism


I know I'm way behind on this one, but for those of you who haven't seen this one, here it is.

Truly, a most remarkable and pertinent piece of photo journalism. kudos.

Random quote for the day

I am a marvelous housekeeper. Every time I leave a man, I keep his house.

-Zsa Zsa Gabor

Lady Bunny

Of the Blogs I've been following, Lady Bunny is the funniest, and one of the smartest blogs that you're probably don't even know exists. Go there now (well, after you've spent some time reading my blog).

The Supreme Court has ruled that there cannot be a Nativity Scene in Washington, DC this Christmas. This isn't for any religious reason, they simply have not been able to find three wise men and a virgin in the Nation's capitol. There was no problem, however, finding enough asses to fill the stable.

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

The Media Juggernaut...

Another drawback to Brokeback Mountain releasing. Publicity.

This was supposed to be a small, independent film. If you're read the novella, you can't imagine it any other way. But you can effectively throw that out the window now.

Given its A list backing, this film is getting some major column space, and sound bytes are swarming all over the place. I am not pleased. While I was initially glad for any info at all on this film, but as worldwide release gets closer, some rather unsavoury things have begun to happen. But perhaps the thing that infuriates me the most (and judging from the blogs I've been following, other BBM heads too) are the cast interviews. There have been a slew of interviews popping up all over the place that are alienating the old time fans of BBM. While I am hardly an old time fan, I totally agree with them on this. The madness has to stop.

I will not link to these interviews. Suffice it to say, that their foot-in-mouth comments make Paris Hilton look like a freakin' genius.

As one commentator said, "...if I have to hear one more mention of 'their bravery' and all that crap I will have to turn my attention to something else. One more article on Jake 'AmBIguos' Gyllenhaal taking one for the Gipper..."

Monday, December 05, 2005

Brokeback releases

Exams over! Wooo hooo! Bring forth the dancing queens girls!

Brokeback Mountain has finally had its US release. So it begins.

While audiences squirmed uncomfortably in their seats, this film has squirmed its way into the public imagination. It's been called the most beautiful film of the year, if not the decade. High praise, indeed. Heath Ledger has been tipped for an Oscar nod, and my fingers are crossed. The more Oscars this film gets, the higher the chances of this film making it to Indian shores, and into the eye sockets of our cheap-scotch-in-cognac-bottle audiences. Hee hee. Grandma's gonna have a heart attack.

There is the flip side. This film has been criticized primarily for it's storyline, and how it is unrealistic and cold. This story has been criticized for Ennis Del Mar's lack of articulation, or for Jack Twist's eagerness to set up home from the moment he was porked. One reviewer said it left him feeling as “cold as the Wyoming mountains”. As someone who has read the short story, I beg to differ. This story may be many things, but unfeeling it certainly is not.

I admit, when I first read the story, I had a rather queer reaction: I instantly regretted it. I cursed myself for having put myself through the torture of reading those 20 odd pages, and felt as if I had stuck an ice pick in my chest. It was like being stabbed by an icicle, you just have a big hunka ice where your heart used to be. Then it changes. Ice turns to water (steamy scenes not withstanding), and you find yourself standing in a puddle. Make that a puddle of tears!!

As the days passed, I knew that for better or for worse, I would not be able to get the story out of my head. Over time, I came to feel that I was glad I read it. Seeing the trailer after that just made it all the more real, and I know I'll be a bawling idiot whenever I see it. I just hope I have a loved one close by to turn me over so I don't choke in my own tears. Or to put me out of my misery.

A State where a boy named Matthew Shepherd lived. And a country where a President named Dubya ponders his response to the war in Azkaban.